Paper Cranes and Paper Hearts
by Miss Light Bright
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru never had a chance to know each other. Hikaru was put up for adoption a few weeks after the two were born. But now that they are 16, Hikaru sets out to meet the family that had abandoned him so many years ago. No slash, no lemon.
1. Chapter 1

She lay on a bed, panting; her face was covered in sweat and her hair stuck to her face. Her grip on her husband's hand loosened as she let herself sink into the pillows in relief. Her gaze was stuck on her name plate, Hitachiin, placed on the wall as she breathed to calm down; but it was hard to do so with the babies screaming. Right, the babies.

Mrs. Hitachiin turned her gaze on the nurses in front of her who were squealing about how cute the two twins were with their bright orange hair. Her husband moved away; at first she was confused but then quickly realized that he was cutting their umbilical cords.

"You did it, honey!" her husband shouted, slicing through the incoherent noise. "They're beautiful."

The nurse laid one baby into her arms and her husband came around with the other. Mrs. Hitachiin smiled. They really were beautiful. But then her smile dropped, dreading what was to come.

"Honey?" she called through trembling lips, glancing up at him.

He smiled down at her. "We should name them now," he said softly.

She frowned, peering into the baby's face that lay in her arms. This one was the younger of the two. "Kaoru," she said quietly. "I've always liked that name." The baby in her arms, blinked slowly, suddenly quiet.

"Then this little guy will be Hikaru," her husband replied through Hikaru's incessant wailing.

"Then… then which one are we keeping?" Mrs. Hitachiin asked. Her husband froze; staring at the baby's crying face.

"Are we really still-?"

"Yes," she hissed. "We already talked about this before. We only have the money and the resources to take care of one child. We have to give up one." The nurses discreetly slipped out of the room, leaving these private matters to the couple. Her husband remained quiet.

"I won't be the one who decides this," he muttered. "I won't be the one who turns our child away."

She scowled, looking away. "Fine, then Hikaru will go." Her husband looked up with defiant eyes. "What? Do you have something you want to say?"

He looked back down at Hikaru who was still crying, but a lot softer now. He rocked the small boy until the crying ceased. The baby closed his eyes slowly. "I love you, Hikaru," he whispered to little baby, kissing him on the forehead. "Fine, he will go," he said, now addressing his wife. And so it was decided.

A few weeks later, after both babies had grown, the Hitachiin couple found themselves gathering up their identical baby boys to go the orphanage. It killed Mr. Hitachiin to watch his little Hikaru be pulled from his arms by his own wife to be placed in the horrid place.

Sure, Hikaru had a high chance for adoption because he was so young. And yes, the orphanage was a beautiful facility; not dirty or abusive. But Mr. Hitachiin was still horrified. They could raise both somehow; they could make it, he knew they could.

But still, his wife refused and he was forced to watch her car drive away with his precious baby boy in the back seat. He clutched Kaoru to his chest. That day, Mr. Hitachiin was changed forever; that day, Kaoru cried louder than he had ever cried before.

**1 Year Later**

Little Kaoru played in his corner as he usually did, squealing and cooing as he built his blocks and knocked them down. He played completely unaware of the commotion in the kitchen.

"You had no right to do that to me! We could have kept him!" Kaoru's father cried. Kaoru took no notice as he played his blocks; screaming was common in the Hitachiin household. It wasn't like he understood fully anyways.

Mrs. Hitachiin groaned. "You bring that up every time we have an argument. Get over it already! It's in the past. Besides, we have another son, you know! But you never pay attention to him. All you do it talk about Hikaru!"

"Well, it's not the same!" he hollered back. And their fight continued on and on. Harsh words and insults were exchanged until it broke both of them.

Divorce. That was their solution. They received joint custody of Kaoru but neither were happy that way either. Both began to resent the small amber-eyed boy. Kaoru was in for a hard life. But little one-year-old Kaoru never noticed the difference.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone! This happens to be my third fanfiction, but I have not showed this idea to anyone before this, so I hope it's not a terrible idea. Please give me feedback! Should I continue? SHOULD I? Because I really wanna know. Also, if you like my writing, also check out "Lost Without You" and "Finding Kaoru."<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**7 Years Old**

Kaoru swung his legs steadily against the edge of the old, yellow chair, munching on his animal crackers. Occasionally, he hummed to himself, wondering when daddy was coming to pick him up tonight. Not that Kaoru liked it there any better; it was just that Kaoru didn't like staying at either of his parent's houses for long.

A sharp squeak lifted his eyes to the mismatching red couch. Skittering close to the floor was a lone rat, sniffing along the garbage-laden floor.

"Mom!" Kaoru whined loudly, jumping from the chair and dropping his crackers. He ran across the room, down the hall to mom's room. The small square room was littered with junk and mom was shuffling through the tall boxes.

"Mom! There's a rat in the living room!" Kaoru cried.

"That nice honey," she mumbled, scratching the dirty hair caked to her forehead. "Kaoru, I'm missing my glasses again. Will you look in those boxes over there?" She pointed to the horrid stack of small boxes overtaking the area below the window.

Kaoru paled, seeing something move in one of those boxes. But he forced a small smile across his face. "Sure, mom."

Hours later, after Kaoru had found mom's glasses sitting on the windowsill and long after he had grown bored sitting on the couch with nothing to do, a knock sounded at the old chipped door. Kaoru's head jolted up. He glanced around for any sign of his mom, but all was quiet.

So quickly Kaoru bounced off from his seat and crossed the room. His father didn't like to be kept waiting, so the little Hitachiin wrenched open the door. "Hey, dad," Kaoru greeted softly. He tried his best to hold his smile.

Dad just swept by without a word or even a glance. He just entered the room and glared around. He turned around; his face was darkened in a way that made Kaoru take a step back against the door. "Where is she?"

Kaoru shook his head. "I don't know… the kitchen?" Kaoru mumbled.

"Go sit in the car," he commanded, turning away and heading to the kitchen.

Slowly, Kaoru exited the small apartment, closing the door behind him. But he stopped to lean on the door, listening to the raising shouts coming from within the house. He sighed and continued on to the car.

After his parents had finished yelling at each other, which they do every time they see each other, dad came out and entered the car, not looking anywhere but straight ahead. It wasn't anything new really. Kaoru had dealt with this his whole life, so he just glanced out the window, waiting for the weekly rant.

"You know," dad began. Kaoru closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool window. His father continued, "If your brother was still here, none of this would have happened. If your mother hadn't given him up…"

Kaoru just nodded, knowing from experience that he wouldn't want feedback.

"I knew I should've told her no. He was special to me. I should have picked him…" he trailed off, lost in thought.

Kaoru tuned the man out; he knew this whole speech by heart. He just watched the houses race by and focused on the setting sun.

* * *

><p>Hikaru dragged his spoon through his frosted cereal with a frown on his face. School was in a few minutes but he was still planning on taking his time.<p>

Zen, Hikaru's older brother, walked into the kitchen and ruffled Hikaru's soft orange locks. "What's eating you, little guy?"

Hikaru looked up; Zen opened the fridge and grabbed the milk, flicking his black hair out of his eyes. The light gleamed off his silver earrings. Zen was only a few years older than him—thirteen. Well, it was a six year difference but they were close nonetheless.

"Mom told me last night… that I was adopted."

Zen glanced up with wide eyes. "What? She told you? I thought she wasn't going to do that till you were older."

Hikaru shrugged. "I asked her why I had orange hair when everyone else has black," Hikaru mumbled.

Zen poured cereal into a bowl. "Well it doesn't change anything. You are still my annoying little brother."

Hikaru pouted. "I'm not annoying. I'm in the first grade!"

Zen chuckled, now pouring milk. "Yeah and I'm in the seventh grade and that doesn't change anything. You are annoying and you always will be." He grinned as Hikaru shot a spoonful of his cereal at Zen's head. "What else did mom say?"

"Nothing really," he said. "She just said when I'm older I can meet my…" Hikaru searched for the word mom had used. "Biological parents. But she said that's only if I wanted to."

"And do you want to?" Zen asked as he lifted his prepared cereal and threw a spoon into the cold milk.

"Why would I want to?" Hikaru asked. "I already have a mom and a dad." Hikaru waved his spoon dramatically in the air, flicking stray flakes onto the counter at which he sat.

"And you have a brother," Zen reminded, chewing with his mouth opened. "You can't forget that!"

Hikaru giggled. "Yeah, one annoying brother is all I need."

* * *

><p><strong>So, if you didn't know already, I like to post in short chapters but update often. I work a lot better this way. But I promise the chapters will get a little longer as we get further into the plot. These first few are just to get the background story straight. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**16 years old**

Hikaru set the final box down in the apartment and wiped the sweat off his face. "That took forever. You owe me Zen," he said collapsing into a kitchen chair. He glanced around at the load of boxes and other miscellaneous things he and his brother had brought in. It was piled high.

Zen laughed, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer and a Coke for the minor. "Well thanks for helping me move in, little dude." He dropped into the chair across the table from Hikaru and rolled the can across the table to his younger brother.

"So," Zen said, cracking open the beer with a bottle opener, "you are going to be high school this year. Are you excited?"

Hikaru shrugged, trying to remain indifferent. "What's to be so excited about?"

"Hey I think I see a little smile," Zen laughed. He gestured at Hikaru's face with his beer.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "What about you? How do you feel about being in your final year of university?"

Zen leaned back in his chair and copied Hikaru's earlier shrug; he took a swig from the cold bottle.

Hikaru smiled. They both were happy and he knew it; it was like an unspoken bond they held. "So where are your roommates?" He popped the tab of the soda can with a satisfying hiss.

"They went out for a while to give me room to move in."

Hikaru nodded and began fidgeting. He supposed now would probably be the moment to tell his older brother; to tell him what Hikaru had been turning over in his head for the past year.

"What is it Hikaru?" Zen asked, setting down his bottle to give his little brother his full attention. "You look worried."

"Uhhh… I have something important to ask you," Hikaru said, looking his brother right in his opaque eyes.

"Well, spit it out," Zen said impatiently, flicking his black hair to the side.

"I want to meet my birth parents," Hikaru blurted.

Zen eyes widened and he sat up immediately. "I thought you didn't want to."

Hikaru looked down at his hands. "I've been kind of curious about it lately. I wonder what they're like. Do they look like me? Do I act like them? I just want to meet them once. It's not like I'd be going to live with them or anything." He glanced up nervously at Zen.

He was nodding, deep in thought as he turned his gaze out the window. "Seems reasonable… I just don't want you to get hurt." He turned his worried eyes back on Hikaru.

There was a long pause. "Do you think mom and dad will be mad?" Hikaru asked quietly.

"No," Zen said immediately. "They tell you all the time that it would be okay to meet them."

Hikaru nodded. "Then I'll ask them when I get home." He stood, suddenly eager to go home; adrenaline pumped through his veins.

Zen stood with a chuckle. "Don't be too eager to get rid of me," he laughed. But he crossed the room and pulled his adoptive brother into a hug. "Just let me know if there is anything you need, Hikaru. Doesn't matter the day or the time, just call me and I'll come."

Hikaru nodded and smiled. "Thanks Zen."

Not long after that, Hikaru found his way home from his brother's apartment 30 minutes away. Immediately he went to his parents and told them about meeting his biological parents. Hikaru was surprised at their almost automatic agreement.

And soon, before Hikaru could even wrap his head around it, he was setting up a meeting with his _mom_, his real mom. It was a surreal feeling; talking to a woman he'd never met before.

The phone rang and rang, almost to the point where Hikaru was going to give up, but then finally, someone picked up. "Hello?" a cool-toned male voice answered.

"Hi," Hikaru returned uncertainly. He glanced back at his parents who were standing behind him at the kitchen table. They nodded their assurance.

He breathed and said, "I'm looking for a Yuzuha Hitachiin."

"Hold on a sec," the voice replied. There was a shuffling and a sharp cry, "Mom!" Hikaru was temporarily startled; did this mean he had a brother? Or maybe a half-brother?

Hikaru shook the thought aside when he heard the phone being passed. "Hello?" a woman answered.

"Yuzuha Hitachiin?" he asked.

"Yes…" she replied warily.

"Umm this is Hikaru Nagamu." He paused, letting the words sink in. "I'm your son."

A loud gasped ripped through the phone. "Hikaru? Is it really you?" Mrs. Hitachiin's voice sounded watery but joyful. Hikaru's breathing hitched; he never expected his biological parents to be happy to hear from him. He had assumed they had given him up and never wanted to see him again.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied. "If I could, I would really like to meet you."

"Of course! Of course!" she cried. "I've been waiting for this day. When would you like to meet up? I am free any day this week."

Hikaru smiled and brushed his free hand through his orange hair. "Tomorrow works for me," he said nervously.

She agreed. And hence, the meeting was set. Hikaru just gathered her address from her—he was surprised to see she lived only across the city from him—and they agreed on a time: three 'O' clock.

They next day, Monday, came faster than Hikaru expected. He watched and waited as the clock ticked steadily closer to the time of their meeting. Hikaru supposed he could be outside, enjoying his last few days of summer vacation, but he couldn't help but pace around the house.

And promptly at three, Hikaru pulled up to a small apartment complex in the slums of Ouran. Hikaru immediately felt his heart plummet at the sight of it. The area was awful… He shook his head. It wouldn't be right to judge on just where a person lived.

He coasted to a stop along the edge of the street, cut the engine, and hopped out into the dirty street. Hikaru felt nervous; maybe he should have taken his parents' or even Zen's offer to come with him. Slamming the door shut, he locked the car.

He nodded to himself. He needed to have courage. This could be better than it looked. So he took off towards the apartment complex purposefully. And when he reached apartment number 38, he knocked tentatively.

"Hikaru?" a woman's called on the other side of the door.

Hikaru was just about to reply when the door flew open and the woman gathered her son in her warm embrace. In Hikaru's surprise, he forgot to hug back.

She stepped back and gestured into the apartment. "Come in! We have so much to talk about."

Hikaru nervously stepped over the threshold, glancing around at the tiny room. He had entered a living room that was directly attached to the open kitchen. Beyond the living room stood two open doors of separate bedrooms and another of a bathroom. Hikaru paused at the first bedroom, noticing the posters, disheveled bed, and pop cans across the dresser.

"Want to something to drink?" Mrs. Hitachiin asked from the kitchen.

"Sure," Hikaru said, turning his attention on her. "Anything is fine." He looked across the rooms; he was relieved to see everything so clean. But he was a little disappointed when he noticed no family pictures or decorations or anything personal anywhere in sight.

He glanced back at Yuzuha. She was dressed in yellow sundress and her blonde hair was spiked back fashionably. "So," he said, pacing up to the counter and leaned against it. "Where is Mr. Hitachiin?"

Yuzuha froze at the fridge. She stepped back slowly with sodas in her hands and let it close on its own. She came over to the counter and set both drinks down to look Hikaru straight in the eye. "We're divorced," she said quietly. "And he left the city recently without telling us where he was going."

Hikaru tilted his head. "Us?"

"Me and…" she trailed off and sat down. She passed her son one of the sodas at random and pursed her lips. "Hikaru, you have a brother."

Hikaru nodded. "I kind of guessed that on the phone."

"But he's also your twin brother," she finished, looking at him seriously.

"W-w-what?" Hikaru stammered, sitting straight up.

Yuzuha sighed. "When the two of you were born, we didn't have much money. We still don't," she laughed, looking around the apartment. "And well, we didn't have enough money to take care of the both of you… Sorry."

Hikaru stared at his hands that cupped the cold soda. It was a shock. A twin brother?

Suddenly the door slammed open, making Hikaru jump. "Oh Kaoru!" Yuzuha called, standing up, looking a little nervous. "You're home."

Hikaru glanced over his shoulder and froze. There, in the doorway, stood an almost exact replica of himself. The boy wore a loose-fitting white t-shirt and jeans. His orange hair gleamed in the sunlight from the doorway and his haircut hung slightly longer than Hikaru's.

The boy's face was frozen in that of surprise. With his eyes wide like that, Hikaru thought of a small animal ready to bolt. But as quick as the expression came, the boy shielded himself into a blank face.

"Oh you must be Hikaru," he said softly, kicking off his dirty shoes. His lips turned upwards into a sickly sweet smile. "So this is why you are so dressed up today, mom," he said harshly. And quickly, Kaoru sauntered into his room, slamming the door shut so hard that it rattled the hinges.

Hikaru just stared at the closed door. "What the…"

* * *

><p><strong>The end... Just kidding, April Fool's Day! haha I didn't have any tricks played on me and I'm glad of it. Soooo I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. I know, it's a little rushed, but I wanted to get to this exact point. So yeaaaahhhh.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Kaoru slammed the door shut, sauntered over to his messy bed, and dropped face-down into the sheets. Distantly, he could hear the whispering outside his door, so he patted around on the bed on which he laid until his hand fell onto the small remote near his pillow.

He turned his arm to the side and clicked the power button. The stereo hummed to life, playing one of Kaoru's favorite CDs. He pushed the volume button until it filled the room, blocking out any sound from outside.

Kaoru dropped his arm and stared at the wall. So his twin brother finally showed up. Kaoru supposed it would happen sooner or later. He ground his teeth.

He did so much for mom; he took care of her when she was "sick," which was often; he paid for the apartment and their living expenses out of pocket. Kaoru sighed, turning over to stare at the ceiling.

It just hurt him that the only time that mom had gotten dressed up and actually cleaned the house was for Hikaru. Kaoru wondered if Hikaru was just as perfect as his parents had always described.

Suddenly, Kaoru's phone buzzed. Kaoru immediately sat up and picked up his phone. The message that lit up his screen simply said, "Where are you?"

Kaoru typed back, "Be there in ten."

He stood from his bed in a flash and opened his meager closet. Pulling out the first sweatshirt in sight, he stuffed his arms inside and zipped up to the top. He threw the hood over his orange hair and clicked off the radio. The voices from the kitchen floated up into the air once again. Kaoru vaguely wondered what they could be talking about.

He shrugged, pacing over to the window, and rolled it upwards. He mounted one foot onto window sill to pull himself through.

"Kaoru," mom's voice suddenly called through the door with a soft knock.

Kaoru dropped from the window, almost smacking his head on the window. "What?" he replied, clearly annoyed.

"Hey, Kaoru, do you want to hang out with Hikaru for a little while. Maybe you can take him somewhere fun."

He stared at the door in disbelief. Seriously? She seriously expected him to hang out with the kid. Kaoru crossed the room and yanked the door open, ready to tell her off, when his eyes met his twin's over her shoulder. He was sitting by the counter, looking bewildered.

Kaoru breathed slowly to compose himself. "Mom," he said through clenched teeth, "I have to get to my _job._" He held up his phone to emphasize his meaning.

"You aren't today," she said, her eyes flashing fiercely.

Kaoru's jaw almost dropped. She knew just as well as he that Kaoru couldn't miss his… _job._ "Uh, mom," he began, ready to correct her when she gave him the glare.

Kaoru stopped, tightening his eyes at her. "Fine," he spat. He lifted his hands to straighten his hood on his head before he walked to the door. He shoved his shoes on and turned to his twin. "You coming?"

Hikaru jumped to his feet and put on his own shoes. Kaoru watched his brother turn to their mother. "Thank you for having me," Hikaru said with a smile.

"Oh, you are welcome any time," she cooed, pulling Hikaru into a hefty hug. Kaoru looked away; he couldn't remember the last hug he had from his mom… not that he cared.

Kaoru opened the door and walked out without a word to either of them and began walking to the stairs. Hikaru caught up a heartbeat later.

"So, you're Kaoru, right?" Hikaru said as they descended the stairs.

Kaoru nodded. "Surprised to have a twin?" Kaoru asked in an attempt at small talk.

Hikaru nodded with wide eyes. "I never imagined it to happen. I wonder who was born first."

"You were," Kaoru said automatically. Hikaru tilted his head in surprise. "I heard stories from mom and dad," Kaoru explained quietly.

Hikaru nodded. "Where do you work?" he asked suddenly.

"At a diner not too far from here," Kaoru said. He took out his phone and began typing a message to say he was going to be late for the meet-up time.

"We should go," Hikaru said enthusiastically, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Kaoru asked, looking up from his text message.

"I said we should go. I want to see where you work."

Kaoru frowned and stopped in his tracks. "You know, we really don't have to hang out. We can just tell my mom that we did and she would be satisfied."

Hikaru looked back in confusion. "But I want to hang out with you."

"Why?" Kaoru spat. "Why would you want to? You just met me!"

Nodding, Hikaru replied, "That is exactly why I want to. I just found out that I have… a twin brother. I just want to see… I mean, I just want to…" He trailed off, frowning to himself.

Kaoru could only stare. This kid was totally weird. Kaoru rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll humor you. But don't expect us to be all buddy-buddy." He trailed over to Hikaru's car, which was already unlocked and slumped down in the passenger seat.

* * *

><p>Hikaru slipped into the driver's seat, watching his twin brother all the while. He seemed… unstable, maybe a little nervous or even worried by the way he kept fidgeting. Kaoru kept taking out his phone, checking or awaiting a message.<p>

Hikaru turned the engine, jumping his modest car to life. Kaoru closed his own door and leaned back, throwing his feet up on the dash. Hikaru frowned.

"At least buckle your seat belt," he said, waiting for his twin to comply.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "We're not getting off to a good start," he chuckled, pulling the seat belt carelessly over his shoulder and clicking it in.

Hikaru didn't reply. He just simply began driving in the direction Kaoru pointed out.

"Turn right up here," Kaoru said emotionlessly.

Hikaru rolled into a parking spot near the off-green diner. Hikaru smiled at the bland name of the sign: Grandma's Diner. When he looked down from the words, Hikaru was surprised to see Kaoru already walking up to the front doors, leaving him behind.

Hikaru jumped out of the car in an instant and locked the car. He wrenched the front door open. The inside of the diner was just as any other diner looked. It had the classy, small town feel with 80's style décor and a jukebox in the corner. The booths were red, the tiles were black and white, and behind the counter was a sign with the daily special in bold letters.

"Kaoru!" a blonde boy cried, racing across the diner, causing several of the customers to look up with smiles on their faces. The tall boy gathered Kaoru in his arms in a dramatic hug. "I thought you went home!"

"I have… company," Kaoru said blandly, gesturing to the identical boy behind him.

"Good God!" the boy gasped. "There are two of you!"

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "My… twin, Hikaru," Kaoru explained. "Hikaru, this is Tamaki. I work with him. Go nuts." He gestured at the two of them and then glanced away.

Hikaru opened his mouth to say hello when Kaoru suddenly grabbed his phone from his pocket when it buzzed loudly. "Hello?" he said nervously into the phone. His worried gaze snapped to Hikaru and he immediately paced away, apologizing into the phone.

Hikaru glanced at Tamaki. He was surprised to see Tamaki wearing a sad expression as he stared at the younger twin.

Tamaki turned to Hikaru. "He doesn't deserve to go through all of this," he muttered, his mood suddenly grounded.

"What do you mean?" Hikaru asked. He looked back at his brother who was talking with a painful expression on his features. "Is something wrong?"

Tamaki's eyes widened. "Just forget I said anything. It's Kaoru's problem, not ours. He'd get mad if either of us tried to get involved." He frowned, looking down at the floor as he straightened the apron hanging from his neck. "Well, I better get back to work. Nice meeting you Hikaru."

Tamaki hurried away before Hikaru could say anything else. So Hikaru was left to wait until his brother was done on the phone.

And when he was, Kaoru looked completely drained. His face was pale as his eyes darted around tensely. "I, uh, have to go, Hikaru."

Hikaru stared at the identical boy, stupefied by the boy's sudden change in attitude. He looked like a kicked puppy.

"I have stuff to take care of," Kaoru continued elusively.

"Do you want a ride?" Hikaru offered immediately. He suddenly had an urge to protect his younger twin; it was an emotion that was completely perplexing Hikaru.

Kaoru shook his head, not saying any more. "Bye," he said and he brushed by Hikaru with that terrified look in his eyes.

Hikaru followed Kaoru's movements with his gaze as he exited the diner and immediately began sprinting down the sidewalk. Hikaru stood, dumbfounded.

He had to find out what the story was behind his twin Kaoru.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm not sure if this chapter is good or not. I was working on it just now while my mind just wants to sleep... Well, I guess I'll find out in the morning when I'm thinking straight.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Hikaru was driving downtown towards the lower end of Ouran where his biological family lived. Yesterday he had gotten the shock of his life; he had a younger twin. It was something he still couldn't get over.

Afterwards, his family had interrogated him about the Hitachiins. He had told them everything, even about Kaoru, but the one thing he hadn't talked about was how weird Kaoru acted. He didn't want to let them into his suspicions yet; not until he had more information.

He flipped his blinker, signaling his left turn and slowed to a stop at the red light. A light melody drifted up from his cell phone and Hikaru grabbed it from the cup holder, flipping it open. "Hello?"

"Hello, idiot," the voice chuckled through the phone.

"Shut up, Zen. What's up?" Hikaru asked, tucking his cell between his head and shoulder as he turned the steering wheel for his left turn. He accelerated into the slum street.

"Everything is great. Classes start soon; I'm making new friends; blah, blah, blah. Now on to the real subject: how was meeting your mom?"

Hikaru mentally groaned. He really did not want to talk about this right now; he had a mission to concentrate on. "Peachy," he said simply.

"Hikaru," Zen said in a warning.

"Fine," Hikaru groaned, shifting the phone to his left hand as he made a right turn. "I met my mom. She's really nice. The house was pretty nice despite the area. My dad hasn't been around recently, I guess, because of the divorce… and I have a twin brother." He mumbled the last part, hoping Zen wouldn't notice.

"Oh yeah, mom said something about the twin…" Zen replied.

"Wait, if mom told you everything I did, why did you even ask me about it?"

"I just wanted to hear the answer out of my own little brother's mouth," was Zen's warm reply.

Hikaru smiled. "Well, anything else you want to ask me?"

"Yes, actually. Mom called me and said that you left the house this morning without telling her where you were going… So where are you going?"

Hikaru shrugged even though Zen couldn't see him. He slowed at the stop sign. "Nowhere; just errands."

"You are going to see that Kaoru twin, aren't you?"

"No!" Hikaru said too quickly. He grimaced, knowing he slipped up. "Fine, yes I am. There's something up with the kid and I want to find out. That's all."

"Just be careful, Hikaru. You don't know much about this family yet. They could be dangerous."

Hikaru snorted. "I can take care of myself."

"I know, but I don't want you to get hurt," Zen said softly.

"I won't," Hikaru responded automatically.

Hikaru pulled up to the old diner a few minutes later and parked in the same spot as the day before. He cut the engine and stepped out into the hot, radiating sun of the ending summer. Blocking the bright sun in his eyes with one hand, Hikaru made his way up the sidewalk to the diner and stepped inside.

He was immediately greeted with a very enthusiastic, "Welcome to Grandma's Diner!" It was Tamaki, smiling widely. "Oh it's you, Hikaru. What are you doing here?"

Hikaru scanned the restaurant for his twin red-head. The place was relatively busy considering it was a little after what Hikaru supposed would be lunch rush. "Is Kaoru working today?" He glanced back at the blonde.

Tamaki nodded. "Yup. He's working half of the diner; I'm working the other half." Tamaki glanced around at the busy booths and at the woman working the high-top counter. "I think he's in back, grabbing orders."

Hikaru nodded. "Can I sit in his section?"

"Sure," Tamaki said enthusiastically. "Maybe you'll cheer him up. He came in crabby."

Tamaki grabbed a laminated diner menu and led him over to the booth in the corner, surrounded by two windows. The sun filtered in, warming the booth seats. Hikaru flopped down into his seat and Tamaki placed the menu in front of him. Tamaki quickly walked away to attend to his own tables.

Slowly, Hikaru looked over the menu before glancing up. The food must be good to have this many customers. He studied the menu further as he waited.

Suddenly someone appeared beside Hikaru and rattled off, "Welcome to Grandma's Diner. Today's special is the Chicken noodle soup for 3.99. What can I get for you?"

Hikaru glanced up at Kaoru, surprised at the enthusiastic tone Kaoru had just used. Blinking, Hikaru replied, "What do you suggest?"

Kaoru looked up from his notepad sharply, almost dropping his pencil. His face flashed from surprise to a glare in seconds. Kaoru dropped his hands to his side and leaned on his right foot. "What are you doing here?" he asked flatly.

"Aw, that's not how you treat all of your guests, is it?" Hikaru asked cheerfully, leaning his head on one hand.

Kaoru leaned his back in annoyance. "What do you want?"

Hikaru pulled his menu up and said, "The bacon cheese burger with onion rings and a coke please." He pointed at the item in extra emphasis.

Kaoru narrowed his eyes. "You know what I meant."

Hikaru nodded, "Yeah, but I'm really hungry. I can't talk on an empty stomach."

Kaoru worked his jaw. "Fine." He snatched the menu from Hikaru's grasp and walked away angrily. But he instantly snapped back into a fake smile as he approached another booth.

Squinting to scrutinize his younger brother, Hikaru noticed the dark shadows around Kaoru's eyes and the way his lids fluttered occasionally. How tired was this kid? But before Hikaru could analyze further, Kaoru turned and pushed his way through the swinging door of the kitchen.

Hikaru turned to look out the window, watching the people on the street. His eyes settled on the bike rack where a lone bike was chained up. Suddenly Hikaru found himself wondering how Kaoru got to work.

A loud slam wrenched Hikaru's gaze from the window to the amber eyes glaring down at him. Kaoru let go of the coke he had slammed down on the table; the soda was fizzing slightly over the top of the glass onto the table. "The burger will be a few minutes," Kaoru said. He flopped down on the opposite side of the booth. "Now tell me what you came to tell me."

"Are you supposed to be sitting down on the job?" Hikaru asked, wagging a finger at Kaoru across the table.

Kaoru rolled his eyes and leaned his head back against the booth.

Hikaru chuckled. "Anyways, what I wanted to say was that my parents invited you to have dinner at our house tomorrow night." This wasn't actually the truth… but Hikaru was sure mom wouldn't mind.

Kaoru's mouth hung open in disbelief. "That's attractive, Kaoru," Hikaru said with a grin. "So what do you say?"

Kaoru shook his head and frowned. "No way in hell."

"Oh come on Kaoru! My mom really wants to meet you," Hikaru begged.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "She does? Really?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't she?"

Kaoru chewed his lip and looked away. "What time?"

Hikaru's chest warmed. "Does five PM work for you?"

"Make it six. I get off of work at five," Kaoru mumbled.

Hikaru nudged Kaoru, gaining a glare from the younger. Kaoru stood up abruptly, knocking his hip sharply against the corner of the table. For a brief second Kaoru's face screwed up at the pain, but he quickly wiped his face into a controlled, emotionless expression.

But Hikaru burst out laughing anyway. Kaoru's eyes widened in indignation and turned and walked away angrily.

Hikaru paused in his laughter to yell, "I'll pick you up!"

Kaoru glared one last time before slipping into the kitchen. Hikaru grinned as Kaoru slipped away. Bugging Kaoru was just too fun.

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><p><strong>GAH! This was so fun to write! I'm just loving this story. lol Tell me what you think.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Hikaru arrived at Grandma's Diner at exactly five. The place was bustling; there were three servers working that Hikaru did not recognize and behind the high-top counter was the same lady that worked yesterday. The servers seemed busy with their tables so he walked up to the counter and took a seat near the middle between two small groups of teenagers.

"What can I get for you?" The woman drawled in her smoky tone, turning her dark brown eyes on him as she set a shake down in front of the girl to the left of Hikaru.

Hikaru took in the large brunette curls springing from the 30 or 40 year old woman's head. It was way over the top. The woman stopped, squinting at him. "Wait a second," she started.

"Hikaru," he said, holding out a hand. "I'm Kaoru's twin brother."

She gaped, taking his hand firmly in a shake. "I wasn't aware that boy had a twin brother," she said suspiciously.

"Well, Kamaza," he read her name from her red name tag on her red apron, "here I am. We're long-lost or however you want to put it."

"Right," she said, leaning onto the counter. "So what brings you here…"

"Hikaru," he repeated for her.

"Yes, what brings you here, Hikaru?" she said, smiling darkly. "You are not trying to hurt my favorite server are you?"

Hikaru smirked back. "No, of course not. I'm just picking up my favorite little brother for a night on the town."

Kamaza's eyebrow twitched. She leaned in and said lowly, "If you hurt him, I'll end you."

Hikaru's smile widened. "You've got nothing to worry about, Grandma."

"Grandma?" she cried, straightening suddenly. She whacked him lightly over the head with a laminated menu.

"Hey, leave him alone, Grandma."

The two both looked up to see Kaoru standing there in his street clothes with his arms wrapped across his chest. He wore a white sweatshirt with baggy jeans and his orange hair brushed down in a skater cut just below his ears. Hikaru's eyes widened when he noticed Kaoru's smirk. It was the closest thing he has seen to a smile in the three days he had known him.

Kamaza groaned. "Why does everyone insist on calling me that?" She chucked the menu at his head which Kaoru promptly sidestepped, gaining some giggles from the people around them. Hikaru smiled.

"Hikaru, let's go," Kaoru said suddenly. His face was completely blank again. He turned on his heel and slipped out the door.

"He's bipolar," Hikaru spoke his thoughts aloud, hopping off the high stool.

"Sometimes I think so too," Kamaza laughed and she waved one hand before stepping away to help a customer.

Hikaru came out of the diner smiling. He walked to where Kaoru was leaning against his car and stopped to unlock it.

"Why are you smiling so creepily?" Kaoru asked, looking bewildered.

"I just discovered you're human," Hikaru replied, opening his door and sitting inside. He rolled down the window as Kaoru pulled himself inside.

Kaoru was glaring. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Hikaru just chuckled. "Nothing."

Kaoru groaned and leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms. The rest of the ride was quiet. Hikaru attempted to talk to his twin but he only responded by turning on music.

Moments later, they pulled in front of Hikaru's tan house with the brown trimming. The grass was completely green with a luscious tree in the front yard and bordering it all was the white picket fence.

"It's exactly what I pictured," Kaoru said quietly. His head was tilted up to take it all in.

"What?"

"Nothing," Kaoru said, looking away.

Hikaru led the way up to the house and reached to open the door, but it flew open before he could even touch it. A loud high-pitched squealing pierced the air.

"Oh you must be Kaoru!" Hikaru's mom cried, bursting from the door. She brushed past her son and grabbed Kaoru into her arms, pressing him firmly into her chest. Hikaru snorted with laughter at the wild, surprised expression on his twin's face. "You are so darn cute!"

"Dear, let him breathe," dad called, leaning against the frame of the front door. He brushed his hand through his graying hair like he always did when meeting someone new.

Mrs. Nagamu pulled away from the youngest twin but held him by the shoulders. "Oh dear, look at his long hair, it's so cute," she called, looking at her husband. Kaoru's face reddened. She turned to Hikaru. "Hikaru, grow your hair out so that you can look this adorable." Kaoru's face brightened even further.

Hikaru sucked in a painful breath through his muffled laughter. "Yeah, mom, sure," he said jokingly, covering his mouth with one hand.

Mrs. Nagamu turned away and pushed her husband inside. "Come on everyone, into the house." Kaoru shot Hikaru a glare over her shoulder as she paced away.

Hikaru pulled to Kaoru's side. "I'd say she likes you so far."

Kaoru tightened his glare. "Oh, shut up."

When they entered the house, the aroma of turkey and mashed potatoes filled the area. "Dinner's almost ready," Hikaru's mom called as she walked with her husband down the front entry, past the stairs, and into a door at the far end of the foyer. On either side of the stairs was two more doors; one led to the living room, while the other was open to the dining room. "Go wash up."

Hikaru mounted the stairs followed by a hesitant Kaoru. They climbed the stairs and Hikaru suddenly heard the soft tones of classic rock. "Zen's home!" Hikaru cried, racing up the rest of the stairs, trusting Kaoru to follow. Down the hall and the door on the left, Hikaru pushed into the room. "Zen! What are you doing back?"

Zen was lying back on his bed, strumming his guitar to the music before he looked up. "Hey, little dude." He sat up and pushed the guitar aside onto the far side of his bed. "I couldn't miss meeting your clone."

"Well, Zen, this is Kaoru," he turned to gesture to his twin when he stopped. There was no one behind him. "Hold on a sec," Hikaru said, pacing back into the hallway.

Kaoru stood at the top stairs; his face was illuminated by the sharp lighting of his cell phone. His eyebrows were knitted as he texted. Hikaru's chest instantly panged in worry; Kaoru had that frightened look in his eyes again.

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru glanced up, frozen. "Oh sorry," he said, "I just had to text a friend."

Hikaru nodded and smiled. "Well hurry up. I want you to meet Zen."

Kaoru pounded a few more buttons before tucking the phone away into his sweatshirt pocket. He walked quickly to Hikaru's side and Hikaru found himself searching the younger's face, wondering what Kaoru's secret was.

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><p><strong>Once again my update was slow... Sorry. My semester is winding down and everything is so busy. I'll try to update faster for the next chapter.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Kaoru slipped his phone into his pocket nervously and followed Hikaru into the room; but he kept his hand on the small cell, still thinking about what he had just read. The text had said to meet in the usual spot at exactly seven. He chewed his lip; somehow he would need to get Hikaru to take him home before then.

He sighed inaudibly but perked up when Hikaru said, "Kaoru, this is Zen." Kaoru glanced at the black-haired kid on the bed and tightened his eyes, not knowing what to think. Hikaru went on, "Zen this is Kaoru."

Zen stared with mouth gaping. "Jesus, the two of you look exactly the same." Kaoru slowly ground his teeth but said nothing. Zen stood, crossed the room, and stopped in front of Kaoru with a calculating look in his eyes. Kaoru glanced at Hikaru uncertainly, but he offered no comfort; the older twin just grinned in amusement.

Kaoru turned his eyes back on the older boy. "You're in my personal bubble."

Zen's lips quirked upwards but he said nothing. Instead, the older boy began to pace around Kaoru, muttering to himself quietly. Kaoru's eyes widened with bewilderment. Finally, after an uncomfortable inspection, Zen came to a stop in front of the youngest red-head with a wide grin. "You pass the test."

Kaoru's right eye twitched. "What kind of test was that?" he asked, glancing over at Hikaru who was sniggering near the door.

"Don't worry, Kaoru, he's just a freak," Hikaru chuckled as he pushed himself off the wall.

"Who are you calling freak, freak?" Zen exclaimed. He launched himself at his younger brother, pulling Hikaru into a headlock. Hikaru wriggled out of his grasp easily but then tackled Zen, only slightly taking him off balance. As Kaoru watched the two push each other around playfully, Kaoru couldn't help but wonder if he could ever be that happy, that carefree. A pang in Kaoru's chest made him clutch at his sweatshirt; he never had many friends; he never had a real family… But Kaoru shook the thoughts aside, remembering that he could never have their life.

Kaoru cleared his throat, looking away. "Are we going to… eat soon?"

A little while later, the family plus Kaoru was gathered around the rectangular table; Kaoru was wedged in by Hikaru. Kaoru had to calm himself as he looked at the food laid out on the table. He couldn't remember the last time someone had cooked for him. In fact, when was the last time he had actually eaten at the kitchen table?

Kaoru glanced up to see Hikaru's eyes on him; he immediately grimaced and looked away. But that, of course, was a big mistake. His eyes caught Mrs. Nagamu's, which she immediately took as a sign that he wanted to talk. "So, Kaoru, you work at a diner?" She said, serving up mashed potatoes on her plate before passing it to Zen.

Kaoru nodded wordlessly as he took the plate of turkey that Hikaru passed to him. He looked around; everyone was staring, waiting for him to elaborate. "I'm a waiter," he said quickly, taking a thick slice from the plate.

Mrs. Nagamu smiled. "You are pretty young to have a job, only 15. Do you have something you want to save up for?"

Kaoru shrugged. "I guess you could say that." He reached for the corn when he noticed everyone staring again. Oh God, they wanted an explanation. Making something up quickly, he said, "Saving up for college."

Hikaru's parents chuckled over this, talking excitedly, but Kaoru tuned them out. He glanced at Hikaru and immediately froze. His twin was squinting at Kaoru as if… as if he _knew_ Kaoru was lying. Kaoru glanced away quickly as he grabbed the bowl of potatoes.

They ate for a while and Kaoru watched silently as the family interacted. Hikaru's parents smiled lovingly at their sons and Zen joked and laughed. The room was so warm, so family-like… Kaoru felt a bit sick. He chewed slowly; his chest throbbed once again.

"Kaoru, what does your dad do for a living?" Mr. Nagamu asked, snapping Kaoru back into the conversation he wasn't paying attention to.

Kaoru swallowed slowly before looking down at his plate, moving the food around slowly. "Uhh… I don't really know." The table was silent. Kaoru continued, "He and mom split up when I was little and, uh, my dad… I haven't heard from him in almost two years…" He looked around the table; all three of Hikaru's family members wore sad expressions. Kaoru hated pity. It made his skin crawl. He glanced at Hikaru instead whose expression was unreadable. He smiled assuredly at the group. "But it doesn't really matter. I've been fine with it for a while now."

However, Kaoru's words had the opposite effect. The family looked more worried and Hikaru tightened his searching eyes. Kaoru squirmed under their gazes, dropping his hands into his lap.

"What about your mom? What does she do?" Zen asked suddenly.

"She's a stay-at-home mom," Kaoru said automatically. But he paled at his own words; he was giving away too much.

"But then how does she pay for the apartment?" Hikaru questioned with a frown.

"She has a-a side job," Kaoru lied quickly.

"But then how—" Hikaru began but the loud ringtone of Kaoru's phone cut him off.

Kaoru wrestled the phone out of his sweatshirt pocket and flipped it open. The message read, **'WHERE ARE YOU?'**

"Shit!" Kaoru cried, slamming to his feet, shoving the chair aside. The time was fast approaching seven… He looked up from his phone to see everyone's shocked expressions. "Sorry," he mumbled as he texted that he would be right there. Sending the text, he glanced at Hikaru with a pleading look. "Hikaru, can you take me home? I forgot about something important."

Hikaru's head was tilted questioningly, but he nodded as he stood. "Okay, let's go." He tucked in his chair and led the way out of the dining room.

Kaoru glanced back worriedly, saying, "Sorry." Great, now these people would think he was a freak.

"Come by any time," Mrs. Nagamu called as he turned away.

Hikaru grabbed his jacket and opened the front door. Kaoru immediately scowled, looking out into the darkened street. When did it start raining? He pulled his sweatshirt tighter around his neck as he tucked the hood over his head.

"Come on!" Hikaru yelled, running into the rain as he clicked the unlock button on his car remote. The lights on his old car lit up as they ran at it and, quickly, they slid into the seats. Kaoru sighed, happy to be out of the pouring rain.

They drove in silence. Kaoru glanced out the window, watching the lights whir by. Occasionally, he felt the burning sensation of Hikaru's eyes on the back of his head. So Kaoru just sat there, waiting for the inevitable.

Finally, after a few minutes, Hikaru finally spoke. "You're not saving up for college, are you?" Kaoru said nothing, closing his eyes. No, he wasn't… but hell, he _wanted _to. "How is your mom paying for the apartment?" Hikaru tried again. Kaoru tensed, squeezing his eyes tighter. She wasn't. She wasn't paying for anything. _Kaoru_ paid for every goddamn thing.

Hikaru sighed loudly when Kaoru didn't reply. They rolled to a slow stop outside of Kaoru's apartment and Kaoru immediately bolted out of the car. "See ya!" he cried, bursting into the rain. He didn't look back as he ran miserably through the rain. Up the stairs, he pounded to his apartment as quick as he could. He ripped his key out of his jeans pocket and jammed it into the lock.

Bursting inside, he slammed the door shut and paced into his bedroom. He grabbed his black backpack. He breathed heavily; panic weaved through his veins.

"Kaoru!" He flinched at the sound of his mother's voice. She appeared in his doorway. "Where the _hell _have you been?"

Kaoru glared. "None of your business," he growled.

"And where are you going now?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

Kaoru slung the backpack over his shoulder and stormed over. "To feed _your_ addiction," he spat. He slammed the door in her face and quickly turned and threw the window open, climbed out, and shut the window tight. By the time his mom was at the window, Kaoru had already disappeared into the rainy, summer night.

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><p><strong>Oh gosh, things are getting... not so good for our young Kaoru. :D I want to hear peoples' opinions and theories! Please share!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Yes, I know this chapter is shorter. And yes, the characters are a bit out of character here... but I wanted to make it fit a little better and that's just how I roll. Also, it's finals week, so have mercy on me.**

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><p>"Kaoru, call me back when you get this," Hikaru said into the answer machine. He clicked his phone to a close and stored the thing in his jeans pocket. It had been two days since the dinner at the Nagamu house and Hikaru had called Kaoru maybe four or five or six times since then… But who was keeping count?<p>

No, no, there was no reason for Hikaru to be worried. It didn't bother Hikaru that Mrs. Hitachiin hadn't answered the phone either. It didn't bother that Hikaru that Tamaki hadn't seen Kaoru since Wednesday nor that Kaoru hadn't showed up for two shifts at the diner. Nope, it didn't bother him one bit…

He grimaced, tapping the phone in his pocket as he stared at the blue paint on his walls. Hikaru bounced slightly on the bed, trying to calm his nerves… It didn't help. But there was nothing to do! Zen was back at college, his parents were at work, and his friends weren't due for another ten or twenty minutes. Hikaru sighed and pulled out his phone again to stare, willing it to ring.

Kaoru had looked so distraught on that rainy Wednesday night; he practically ran for his life when they got to his apartment. Hikaru just wanted to know that his twin was okay. He bit his lip and looked out the window. The sun gleamed through the soft green leaves of the sycamore outside Hikaru's window. The branches waved lazily in the heated breeze while the birds called to each other across the quiet neighborhood. Down below, the neighboring children played with chalk. But what made Hikaru smile was the car that slowed to a stop outside his house. They were early.

Hikaru closed his sketchbook that lay on the desk, shoving it under a stack of books in the corner and quickly made his way down into the foyer, throwing the door open for his friends. "Hey guys!" Hikaru called to the two boys making their way through the white front gates. "Where's Haruhi?"

"She decided to walk," Mori mumbled quietly with a smile.

"Yeah, you know how she is," Honey grinned.

"Well, she better get here soon," Hikaru said, stepping back to let the two inside. "I want to leave as soon as possible.

Hikaru closed the door as the other two flopped down on the couch in the living room. Hikaru smiled. The four of them were such an odd group. Most would not immediately peg them as friends. Mori and Honey were seniors where Hikaru and Haruhi were sophomores. Hikaru couldn't exactly remember the way the four of them met. The playground in elementary maybe?

Mori was quiet and brooding; his tall figure and black hair immediately clashed with Honey's small, blonde form. Honey was bubbly and talkative. They balanced each other out. And Haruhi…

The doorbell rang, bringing Hikaru's eyes away from analyzing his friends. He reached over and pulled the door swiftly open to reveal Haruhi behind the screened door. "Hey Hikaru," she said happily. Hikaru stared; Haruhi wasn't wearing her usual tomboy jeans and t-shirt. She was wearing what Hikaru could only describe as a dress and her short brown hair was held back by a pink clip.

"What happened to you?" Hikaru said in shock.

She rolled her eyes and pulled the door open, sweeping lightly by. "Well excuse me for changing over the summer," she said, trying to keep her face in a scowl but she ended up smiling. "I missed you Hikaru," she said, pulling him into a quick hug.

"How was Italy?" Honey asked, bouncing into the foyer.

"Great!" she exclaimed, pulling back. "There was so much to do. I'll have to show you pictures later."

"What did they do to you there?" Hikaru laughed, gesturing to her clothes.

She smacked him over the head. "I just decided that I wanted to dress more like a girl this semester."

"No! No one can steal you away!" the short blonde cried, hugging her. Mori chuckled just as the doorbell rang again.

The group froze. "Who is that? Did you invite anyone else?" Haruhi asked.

Hikaru shrugged; turning to the door he had just closed, he pulled it open. "Hey," the quiet voice on the other side of the screen door said. A redhead was standing there with a heavy black and gray striped sweatshirt; his eyes were cast downward.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru cried, flinging the screen door open, almost whacking the younger twin in the face. Hikaru pulled the kid into a hug and, after a moment, Hikaru pulled back. Kaoru's eyes were wide in shock as if he had never had a hug before. Slowly, Kaoru blinked before his face was wiped emotionless once again.

"Get off of me," Kaoru choked out, looking away and pulling Hikaru's hands off his shoulders. Kaoru's gaze darted over Hikaru's shoulder. "Uhhh..."

Hikaru glanced behind him. His friends were staring with mouths wide open but none said a word. "Oh, right," he said, opening the door and gestured for the three to come out. "Kaoru, this is Honey, Mori, and Haruhi," Hikaru explained as each came to stand on the front porch. "Guys, this is Kaoru, my twin brother."

"You look the same," Honey stated.

"That's the general idea," Kaoru said.

Hikaru turned his attention on him. "So why weren't you answering my calls, Kaoru?"

"Busy at my other job," Kaoru said, looking Hikaru straight in the eye.

"Really," Hikaru shot back, tightening his gaze and crossing his arms. Kaoru was lying, he could tell.

Kaoru nodded, "Yeah, and I came because I knew you would just show up at the diner again or something if you didn't see me. I'm okay, I'm fine. So don't call me five times in the same day, okay?" Kaoru shuffled his feet across the porch floor.

Hikaru opened his mouth to ask him the questions that had burned his mind for days but stopped; his friends were watching. But he gave Kaoru a 'we'll talk later' expression because Hikaru knew that Kaoru wasn't as okay as he let on. He could see it in his eyes.

"Well," Hikaru said, turning to his friends, "we were just about to go to the park. Can Kaoru come with?"

"Absolutely," Haruhi said, her eyes darting between the two twins. "And while we are there, tell us exactly when you found out you had a twin. Because the last time I checked, you didn't."

Hikaru grinned, "No problem." He grabbed onto a bewildered Kaoru's arm and pulled him down the front steps. "Let's go! And Mori, lock the door, will ya?" Hikaru called over his shoulder.

"I really should go home," Kaoru said with a glare.

"Nonsense," Hikaru replied with an identical glare. "We have so much to catch up on." They stopped at the edge of the sidewalk when Hikaru noticed a bike leaning against the front gate. "Did you bike here?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

Hikaru looked into his younger brother's amber eyes. "You live all the way across town."

Kaoru looked away, shrugging his arm from Hikaru's grasp. "I really have to go home."

"Wait, Kaoru—"

Kaoru shot him the darkest scowl Hikaru had ever seen as he pulled his bike up swiftly, ready jump on. But as he did so, the sweatshirt shifted on his shoulder, revealing the skin below Kaoru's neck. It was an angry black, green, and yellow bruise. Hikaru paled but didn't say a word as his friends came to stand behind him.

So instead, Hikaru reached forward and grabbed Kaoru's wrist, saying, "Fine, but I'm coming to your house at eight, like it or not."

Kaoru's own face paled but he nodded. "Whatever," his voice came out a little shaky. Then he turned and hopped onto his bike, riding swiftly away. Hikaru watched the smaller kid peddle away, thinking.

"So, we going?" Haruhi interrupted his thoughts.

Hikaru turned and looked at her. "Yeah, but I'll have to cut it short today. I have some digging to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow, it's been a while since I updated this story too. Okay, I'll try to update more... Darn you summer vacation! Stop being so distracting! *shakes fist* Well, enjoy then.**

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><p>Hikaru stumbled into the diner a little after two, tripping slightly over his own rushing feet. "Welcome to Grandma's Diner," Tamaki greeted without looking up from where he was sorting the menus. "How many?"<p>

"Tamaki, we need to talk," Hikaru said quickly, looking around the diner. The small room was nearly empty. Only an elderly couple sat at the far-end booth.

Tamaki's head snapped up and he looked at Hikaru with worried eyes. "What is it?"

"Kaoru," Hikaru said simply.

Straightening and setting the menus down, Tamaki tilted his head. "What about him?"

"Do you know who's been hurting him?"

Tamaki's eyes widened before they darted away as he chewed his lip. "No, I don't," he said lowly. He rubbed a hand on the back of his head and moved the menus around on the host stand. "I don't even know what you're talking about." His words fell flat.

Hikaru squinted and crossed his arms. "Really?" Hikaru watched the blonde boy fidget. Tamaki's purple-blue eyes evaded Hikaru's amber gaze. "Somehow I think you're lying."

Tamaki sighed heavily, looking around the diner. Kamaza was wiping down the counter, unaware of the two boys talking at the front door. Tamaki turned back and pulled himself closer to Hikaru. "Look," Tamaki began, "I don't know much about what happens to Kaoru, but I know that he only gets those bruises after he takes off for one of those damn text messages."

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed that. Do you know where he goes or who texts him?"

Tamaki chuckled, looking away. "You know, I would think by now he would tell me, but he hasn't. We've been friends for years but I still don't know any more about him than the day we met." Tamaki looked Hikaru right in the eyes with anger crowding his features. "All I want is to help him. But he doesn't let me."

"Is that all then?" Hikaru asked in disbelief. "Does Kaoru have any friends I can talk to about it?"

"You and I are the closest things I've seen to his friends since I met him three years ago. Believe me, what I told you is all you're getting out of anyone."

Hikaru ran a hand through his orange locks, frustrated. He glanced over at Kamaza. "What about Kamaza?" he asked abruptly. "Does she know anything about what's going on?"

Tamaki grabbed Hikaru's wrist when he tried to step in her direction. "Don't. Kaoru made me promise not to tell anyone about his bruises. Seriously, if he finds out that we have been talking about this… don't expect to see him for a couple of weeks."

"Are you serious?" Hikaru questioned as Tamaki dropped his hand.

Tamaki's eyebrows knitted together as he looked up at the ceiling, lost in a memory. "It happened when I found out. He was gone for a whole month without a trace. No one knew where he was and no one answered his apartment door." Tamaki lowered his voice, "Don't you dare breathe a word of this to Kaoru."

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><p>Kaoru threw his bike down on the sidewalk right outside his apartment complex with adrenaline pumping in his veins. He had to get rid of the evidence, hide everything that revealed what a freak he was. Kaoru winced internally at the thought of Hikaru finding out who he really was. Kaoru tied the bike hastily to the lamppost; his hands worked clumsily over the lock. He forced himself to breathe steady as one of his neighbor's doors opened above him. The creepy old man shuffled out, eyeing the teenage red-head warily with his lazy eye.<p>

Kaoru ignored him and jumped up when he had finished, rushing to the stairs. But he slowed himself to a fast walk under the old man's stare. "Afternoon, Mr. Park," Kaoru greeted shakily, giving him a slight smile.

The old man glared. "I know you are up to something, damn kid. One of these days I'll catch you," Mr. Park growled.

Kaoru's smile faltered and he turned away. Mr. Park didn't know the half of it. But as he walked away, Mr. Park hollered after him, "I know that you're an evil son-of-a-bitch, just like your daddy was!"

His words jolted up Kaoru's spine. Kaoru spun around, seething. "I'm nothing like that bastard."

"An exact replica," Mr. Park annunciated, his wrinkled lips turned upwards.

Kaoru's eyes watered. He turned and quickly ran away in the direction of his apartment, feeling numb. Was the old man right? Was he turning into his father? Kaoru shook his head to himself as he approached his door, taking out his key. No, no he wasn't. He was worse. He was doing and probably would have to do even worse things than his father had done.

He reached forward to unlock the door but instead found himself leaning warily against the door. Kaoru was just so tired. Turning his head to the direction he had come, he locked eyes with Mr. Park one last time through the long distance between their apartments. A chill ran through Kaoru.

Turning away, Kaoru stuck the key into the lock. "Time to clean up the house," he whispered to himself.

He pushed the door open, revealing the usual. It didn't even faze Kaoru anymore. Mom lay on the floor before the couch, still clothed in the same pajamas she'd worn for the last two days. A loopy grin crowded her face and she stared aimlessly into the ceiling. The coffee table held the faint traces of white powder. The rest of the living room was in disarray. The couch cushions were flung into the corner, wrappers little the floor, the potted plant by the door was turned sideways. Dammit, the apartment couldn't stay clean for one week?

Kaoru sighed, approaching mom on the floor. He silently hoped that she hadn't peed herself this time. When he stopped beside her, he was relieved to see that she had held her bladder. "Mom," Kaoru said. She didn't move but her fingers twitched. "Mom, get up." He kicked her lightly in the leg. There was no response.

Glaring down at his mother, Kaoru suddenly thought of Mrs. Nagamu. Mrs. Nagamu had smiled so brightly at him and even gave him a hug. She chattered away to Kaoru as if it were no big deal, as if Kaoru wasn't damaged goods. Anger boiled in Kaoru's chest, looking at this woman on the floor. Normal teenagers had to worry about homework or what time their favorite show is on or when they'll get their driver's license. But Kaoru… he worried about paying bills, avoiding being beat up, and if his mom would be too messed up to eat the dinner he made.

Kaoru clenched his jaw and kicked mom's leg a second time for good measure, fighting back the tears. _No, Kaoru. Don't you ever cry!_ His father's harsh words rang in his ears despite his long absence. So he fought back the tears before stooping down and grasping his mother's forearms. Carefully, Kaoru heaved the woman expertly upwards so that her weight leaned heavily on his shoulders and he took slow, measured steps to the back of the apartment to her dirty room. Kaoru didn't even bother to look at his surroundings. He already knew how filthy it was. It was the one place in the apartment Kaoru refused to clean. But did mom ever clean up after her own messes? No.

He dumped her into her bed carelessly before backing out quickly, slamming the door shut. Kaoru slumped against her door, breathing to steady himself. The apartment smelt rancid. "Well, this is my life," he whispered to himself as he bent down to pick up a small bag with a lump of powder inside. "School, work, clean, sell drugs, repeat."


	10. Chapter 10

Kaoru was folding a green piece of origami paper with the radio on. Fold here, fold there. He had the process memorized. And when he was finished, he held up the small paper crane, satisfied with his work. It was almost flawless. A rare smile spread across his face.

But then the doorbell rang, loud and jarring. "Coming!" Kaoru yelled, switching off the music. He quickly opened his bottom drawer of his dresser and out spilt dozens of paper cranes. "Shit," he hissed, picking them up and shoving them back into the pile. The whole drawer was full of the multi-color birds. And to the top, he added his freshly made crane and rammed the drawer closed.

Quickly, Kaoru wrenched his bedroom door open just as loud pounding shook the front door. "Dammit, you can't wait one second!" Kaoru hollered, unlocking the front door and pulling it open. "Jesus."

"You take too long to open the door," Hikaru said with a smile.

"Yeah, I noticed," Kaoru said flatly. He opened the door wider, letting Hikaru in. Kaoru subtly ran his eyes around the room, checking to see if he left anything out of place. Nope, all systems go.

"Your house is always freakishly clean," Hikaru said, pacing into the living room.

Kaoru walked around him to the fridge. "That's what happens when your mom is a clean-freak," Kaoru replied convincingly. He looked inside the fridge, skimming its contents. "What do you want? We have coke, milk, or lemonade."

"What are you having?"

"Coke," Kaoru replied and he grabbed two from the top shelf, tossing one Hikaru. Hikaru caught it easily. Kaoru stalked without a word into his room, feeling Hikaru following close behind. Inside, Kaoru closed the door and turned to find Hikaru sitting on his bed, looking around the room.

"So where's Yuzuha?"

"Mom? I don't know, out?" Kaoru said, cracking open his coke. He took a quick swig before realizing that Hikaru was staring at him worriedly. "What now?" he sighed.

Hikaru's face wiped clear. "Nothing," he shrugged, "just admiring your room here." He leaned over and grabbed the green origami paper on the bed. "What's this?"

"Just paper." Kaoru went to grab it but Hikaru yanked it away, his eyes set heavily on the thick pile.

"This is origami paper, isn't it?" Hikaru asked.

Kaoru swallowed. "Yeah…" He waited for the taunting to come or even just a smirk. So he looked down and away, wringing his hands.

"That's pretty cool," Hikaru said, pulling a sheet from the pile and setting the rest aside. "What do you make out of them?" he asked as he smoothed the paper out on the bed, flipping over so that he was on his stomach as he folded.

Kaoru frowned before he sat down on the bed, watching Hikaru's movements. "Only paper cranes. It's the only thing I know how to make."

Hikaru paused in his folding and handed Kaoru a sheet of paper. "Here, make me one."

Kaoru took the sheet in his hands, staring at it in confusion. Why would Hikaru want one? "What are you making?" Kaoru asked, setting to work fluidly. His fingers worked at the paper; he didn't even have to look, but he did anyway. It wasn't something to look at, he supposed.

"No way, I'm not telling you. It's a surprise."

"Whatever," Kaoru huffed, working quickly.

"So do you do any other artsy stuff?" Hikaru asked.

Kaoru shrugged. "No, not really. Do you?"

Hikaru smiled widely, looking Kaoru straight in the eyes. "Yeah, I sketch. Granted, I'm not the greatest yet, but I love to do it."

Kaoru nodded, not knowing how to respond. "Maybe I'll show you sometime when you come over next," Hikaru continued. Kaoru eyed Hikaru warily. What's with him? Was he that desperate for them to be brothers, to be friends? Kaoru never even considered on going back to the Nagamu household.

Kaoru folded some more, switching the radio back on. A soft song floated through the room, one he didn't recognize. With one last fold, he straightened out his crane and held it up. Hikaru smiled and grabbed the crane from Kaoru's open palm. "Wow, this thing is perfect! How long have you been doing this?"

He shrugged. "A long time. It's something to do when I'm bored."

"Did you know that if you make a thousand of these things, a wish of yours will come true?" Hikaru asked, twirling the crane from side to side in his hand.

Kaoru nearly smiled. He knew that almost too well. "Yeah, I've heard that a time or two."

Hikaru returned to his own origami sheet. He quickly made a few last folds. "I know it's crappy," he said, before holding it up, "but it's the only thing I can make." In Hikaru's two fingers he held a small paper heart, clumsily made.

"You're not trying to tell me something creepy, are you?" Kaoru asked, eyeing his brother.

Hikaru laughed loudly. "No, you freak. I used to make these for my mom, like all the time. I think she kept some of them." He flicked the heart at Kaoru and it bounced lightly off his nose, making Hikaru laugh again. "How about you keep the heart and I'll keep your crane."

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "I feel like I'm at a girl's slumber party" But he picked the heart nonetheless, tossing it onto the dresser.

"Can I braid your hair?" Hikaru asked with a straight face.

Kaoru shook his head, feeling a smile spread across his face. But then Hikaru was leaning forward, reaching for Kaoru's orange hair. "Your hair is long enough, I totally could," Hikaru chuckled.

"Get away from me!" Kaoru joked pushing Hikaru away. Hikaru fell clumsily off the bed and onto the floor. Kaoru laughed for the first time in front of his brother. And the strangest part was that he couldn't stop.

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><p><strong>Hey! So I'm back and running on this story. I promise that there will be steady chapters from here on out. I used to the last 2 months to focus on "Finding Kaoru," which is now complete. But now I'm focusing solely on this story. So here we go with many to come.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

Hikaru's eyes widened from seeing Kaoru's smile. He didn't know his brother ever smiled. It made Hikaru enjoy being there with his brother a little more. He chuckled with Kaoru, pulling himself up from where he had fallen hard onto the faded carpet.

But then out of nowhere, a sharp voice called, "Kaoru!" Hikaru jumped at the voice and they both faltered into silence.

Kaoru's smile immediately dropped away, turning his features up into a dark scowl. "Shit," he said, his eyes darted to the door. "I think my mom…" Kaoru trailed off, not finishing his sentence. It made Hikaru wonder what he had almost said.

"Kaoru!" the voice snapped. It was a tone in Yuzuha's voice that Hikaru never heard before; it made him frown worriedly at his brother. "Kaoru!"

Kaoru jumped off the bed robotically, rushing to the door. He glanced back, tossing over his shoulder, "I'll be right back," and he slammed the door shut. "Mom, shut the fuck up!" Hikaru blinked rapidly; the relationship between Kaoru and his mom was… interesting.

Hikaru sat still in the room, straining his ears to hear the conversation beyond the door. Unfortunately for him, their voices lowered and their exchanges became a dull roar. Hikaru sighed in frustration and plopped himself backwards into Kaoru's pillow. He listened to the soft music on the radio, realizing that he and Kaoru may have the same taste in music: soft rock, punk, and alternative, all of which were playing on this station.

Turning his head towards the radio, lost in thought, Hikaru's eyes landing on the bottom drawer of the dresser on which it sat. The drawer was open just slightly and a small red piece of paper was sticking out of the top.

Hikaru rolled gracefully off the bed, landing on his hands and knees just beside it. Guiltily, Hikaru glanced over his shoulder at the door. They were still talking, far enough way. So Hikaru turned back and curled his finger carefully around the edges of the drawer. Was he really going to invade his brother's privacy? He sat still for only a second before deciding yes, yes he was. His brother was in some kind of trouble, this he knew. He had seen the bruises, the darting of Kaoru's eyes, and the wary glances at his phone. Hikaru was sure there was something wrong.

He pulled at the drawer without another thought. Hikaru cringed when the drawer made a small grating noise of wood against wood. But he worked it open nonetheless. And when it was open, Hikaru sat in silence, staring at its contents. This was not something he was expecting. The drawer was full of paper cranes, like seriously full. There had to be hundreds of the tiny things. "Holy…" Hikaru muttered, splaying his fingers on the drawer's edge.

Hikaru lifted a hand and dug across the top layer experimentally. Yup, it was definitely full. He couldn't even see the bottom! So he reached in and picked one at random. The crane was made of starred paper, blue and yellow. He reached in for another one and pulled out one covered in red flowers. Hikaru smiled. Kaoru making cranes with flowered paper? Now that's something he wished he could see.

He dropped them back inside and dug deep down to the bottom. There, he plucked a random one out. When he removed his hand, he was surprised to see he was holding a poorly made crane, made of torn notebook paper. It looked incredibly worn and a bit crushed. Somehow, Hikaru liked this crane the best.

Once again, Hikaru plunged his hand inside, searching towards the bottom… until he felt something plastic. A bag maybe? He tugged at it and it wasn't heavy. Slowly he pulled it out. The little birds shifted noisily against the movement. And when Hikaru finally pulled it out, he froze. "Oh, no, Kaoru," he whispered.

In between his two fingers he held a small sandwich bag and the bottom was laced with a thick white powder. Hikaru paled, suspecting he knew what that powder was. Hikaru quickly pulled out his phone and clicked onto the internet. In his search engine, he typed in, "White powder drug." He swallowed thickly when he saw the word "Cocaine" glaring at him from several links.

"Shit," Hikaru swore, setting the phone onto the floor, completely dazed. Was… was Kaoru taking this? He didn't want to believe it, he couldn't. Hikaru closed the drawer but held the baggie tight in his hand. Turning, he leaned up against the dresser and eyed the door.

The talking beyond the door continued for a while and Hikaru's heart raced all the while. What would he say? What would he do? But the talking silenced before Hikaru was ready.

Footsteps fell across the floor, closer and closer to the door. Hikaru straightened himself. And the door opened.

"Sorry about that…" Kaoru started as he opened the door. But he stopped in his tracks, taking in Hikaru on the floor, holding that bag. Kaoru's eyes widened in panic and his muscles tensed. Slowly, Kaoru closed his door, not turning his eyes away from Hikaru. "You went through my stuff?" Kaoru asked quietly.

Hikaru felt a surge of anger. "You're trying to turn this on me?" He huffed, steadying himself. "Kaoru…"

Kaoru looked away, bringing his hands together nervously. His eyes were hidden by his long hair.

"Kaoru, what is this? Is it yours?"

Kaoru looked up with pain his eyes. "You're really going to ask me that? Don't you think you know that answer already?"

Hikaru felt his heart break a little. He put his feet under him and rose slowly, staring at the bag before looking at Kaoru. "Kaoru, what do you have this for?"

Kaoru bit his lip and looked away. He took a step back to lean against the door with his hands behind his back; he didn't speak.

Hikaru took a step forward. "You're not using this stuff, are you?"

Kaoru didn't look up.

Hikaru closed his eyes, gathering his nerves and then pleaded, "Kaoru, please. Please tell me you aren't using the stuff."

Kaoru turned his bright amber eyes on Hikaru; they flashed with an unreadable emotion.

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><p><strong>See I told you I would be updating often! Yay! So what do you think?<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

"You don't know anything about me," Kaoru said slowly, clenching his jaw. He brought his hands to his side and they curled slowly into tight fists.

"I'm trying to understand," Hikaru replied shortly. He stepped forward until he was only feet away. There was a small pause; Hikaru watched his brother's face turn from guilty to defiant. Steeling himself, Hikaru spoke again, holding the baggie up to eye level. "Just tell me why," he demanded.

"Fuck, Hikaru, you have no right!" Kaoru snarled suddenly, snatching the bag out of Hikaru's hand. "You have no right to-"

"To worry about you?" Hikaru inserted, his voice steadily getting louder.

"You aren't my mom!" Kaoru yelled. "You aren't my dad!" Kaoru's were wide and hurt. Hikaru was sure he could see a tremble in his lips.

"Right, I'm not. I'm your brother. I may not know everything you are going through…"

"You don't."

"But," Hikaru said quickly, holding up a hand to silence Kaoru, "you don't need that." He gestured to the powder in Kaoru's hand. Kaoru glanced down at it before staring back up at Hikaru; there was a deep frown on his face. "Kaoru, I'm your brother and brothers look out for each other."

Kaoru shook his head. "I've never had a brother before now and I've been doing just fine!"

"Well I'm here now Kaoru!" Hikaru yelled back, hushing Kaoru temporarily. "Look at me. I'm here. I can help. Just…" He sighed. "Just tell me."

"You don't know me. I don't owe you anything," Kaoru growled.

"I'm just trying to help you!" Hikaru screamed. He took two heavy steps forward to stand just before Kaoru. "If you are using this stuff-"

"I'm not using it, god damn it! It's not for me!" Kaoru screamed. And then there was sudden silence. Kaoru looked away, blinking rapidly to force back what Hikaru realized were tears. They stood there. Neither made a move. The soft tones of the radio floated up between them, clashing with their heavy silence.

"Kaoru," Hikaru said softly. Kaoru flinched but didn't look up. He shifted so that his hair fell back into his face, but Hikaru still saw the tear that rolled down Kaoru's face. Hikaru reached forward to touch Kaoru's shoulder and said, "Just tell me what it's for. Just-"

"NO!" Kaoru yelled, dodging Hikaru's hand and moving to the wall just beside the door. His red eyes caught Hikaru. "Don't you fucking touch me." He dropped the drug onto his bed.

"But Kaoru-"

Kaoru wrenched open his bedroom. "Get out." There was something deadly in those eyes.

"Kaoru, don't do this."

"OUT!" He cried, shaking a finger to the open door.

Hikaru put his hands up slowly. "We're going to talk about this sometime, Kaoru," Hikaru said slowly, taking his time to cross the room to the door.

Kaoru followed Hikaru, making him back into the living room. "No, we don't. Not ever. Seriously, don't come back… please, don't." It was as if Kaoru had broken at that moment. Kaoru dropped his head and his face glistened with a fresh stream of tears. He scrubbed his hands over his eyes, smearing the wetness across his cheeks. And the soft sob is what broke Hikaru; it was so… sad.

Hikaru reached forward, ready to gather his brother into a hug when a high voice shrilled, "Hikaru, is something wrong?"

Freezing with his hands up, Hikaru glanced over behind him. Yuzuha was standing in her bed room doorway. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair was disheveled, and she stared at them blearily. Hikaru didn't say a word. Instead he looked back at Kaoru as he started to laugh harshly.

"Fuck mom, you just have the worse timing don't you?" Kaoru laughed through his tears.

And suddenly Hikaru was being pushed towards the door. Kaoru opened the front door and gave Hikaru a small, incredibly fake smile. "Just go, will you? Just forget about me."

Hikaru set his jaw seriously. "I'll be back. We're talking about this."

Kaoru glared and pointed to the door. "Out."

"Are you leaving Hikaru? You'll be back soon, right?" Yuzuha asked with worry rising in her voice.

"Go back to bed mom." Kaoru said without looking. Then he roughly pushed Hikaru roughly and unexpectedly through the open doorway with one shove. The door slammed in Hikaru's face.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru yelled, not caring about disturbing the neighbors. Kaoru's apartment was on the end anyway. So he leaned forward and started knocking ferociously at the door. His arms and forehead were sweating sickly and his heart was racing with worry. Hikaru kept pounding the door, calling his brother's name.

Eventually, Hikaru realized… it was no use. Kaoru wasn't opening this door tonight. But even so, Hikaru leaned up against the apartment door and slid down to sit. He brought his knees to his chest and stared up at the single light on the street. It had grown dark and Hikaru could see fireflies buzzing in the parking lot below the second floor.

And then Hikaru just sat and waited. He didn't know what he was waiting for, but he knew that should. The apartment behind him was quiet; he could hear neither Kaoru nor Yuzuha's voice. Hikaru started to lose patience.

But then Hikaru heard the quiet rolling of a window. Hikaru jumped to his feet and moved against the railing on the edge of the second floor walkway. Just around the side of the building was a splash of light cast onto the building next door. There was a narrow ledge on the side of the apartments that Hikaru barely noticed. Suddenly there was a silhouette of a boy against the window's light.

Hikaru watched silently as Kaoru climbed out of his bedroom window wearing one of his signature hoodies drawn up over his orange hair. He was carrying a backpack, clutching it to his back. In this light, Hikaru could have mistaken Kaoru for a burglar. Hikaru was shook from his thoughts when Kaoru jumped from the ledge, down onto the dumpster into the alley, leaving the window slightly open. Then Kaoru was off. He jumped off the dumpster and ran off into the dark, pitch black alley. And Hikaru stood in the light, promising himself to help.

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><p><strong>July 19th is my birthday! Wish me a happy birthday, I demand it! Haha just kidding, you don't have to.<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is dedicated to QuinnStormTwilight who shares the same birthday as me today! And thank you for all of the birthday wishes!**

* * *

><p>Kaoru walked purposefully down the darkened streets and straightened his hood so that his face fell under shadows. He made his way through the dirty streets of the slums, avoiding the lights; it was easy now since he had done this so many times before. He glanced nervously over his shoulder, checking for anyone following. He saw no one, but who knows in this darkness.<p>

Kaoru hesitated on the edge of 23rd street, looking farther up at the flashing lights of a police car. He wondered if it was anyone he knew that got busted. He tensed his muscles before flashing across the street; Kaoru was just another shadow.

Making his way into the abandoned and undisturbed area of Kaoru's neighborhood, Kaoru took a deep breath to calm his jittering nerves. A tall factory loomed above him and he moved silently into the back door hidden by the overgrown underbrush. He slipped silently into the unlocked door and moved to close it again when he was slammed painfully against the wall. A hand fell over his lips, silencing him.

Kaoru almost panicked until he saw the familiar black eyes and the silver framed glasses. "Your late," Kyoya said flatly but with an amused smile. He let go of Kaoru, nudged his shoulder, and closed the door. "He's going to pissed, Kaoru."

"Yeah I know," Kaoru said, straightening up.

Kyoya took out his flashlight and they began to walk their way into the factory's halls. Kaoru glanced at Kyoya and smiled ever so slightly. Kyoya was his only friend in this drug-selling ring. He was the only one that didn't treat him like shit.

Glancing at him, Kyoya caught Kaoru's stare but didn't seem to mind. "Please tell me you at least sold 80 percent of what they told you."

Kaoru snorted. "Dude, you know I do better than that. I sold all of it except one bag of Cocaine. I should have sold that too…"

"Well, good," Kyoya said, slapping Kaoru approvingly on the shoulder. Kaoru nearly glowed with pride. He knew it was wrong to be proud of selling drugs but it was the only place he got positive feedback. At home? No. At work? Maybe sometimes. At school? HELL NO. So here he was, almost smiling. "You did a good job, kid."

Kaoru nodded. "A guy's gotta make his living somehow."

Kyoya tilted his head, looking at Kaoru. "You know, you're a good kid Kaoru. Remind me again why you are doing this?"

"Bills," Kaoru said. "I don't make enough serving to pay for everything at home." He looked back Kyoya. Kyoya gave him that stern look that said he didn't believe Kaoru. "And…" Kaoru continued, not wanting to disappoint. "It's for my mom. We get discounted drugs, you know?"

Kyoya's eyes hardened before looking away. "Yeah, I know…" They made their way up a set of steel stairs. Kyoya's flashlight flickered against the metal machines and their footsteps echoed. "Someday we'll get you out of here," Kyoya uttered, almost silently.

Kaoru looked at him, studying. He knew that his friend wanted out of this place but Kaoru knew just as well that Kyoya probably wouldn't. Kyoya had grown up selling drugs because, well, his brother was the drug leader; and Kyoya's brother would never let Kyoya leave. Kaoru, on the other hand, had joined two years ago when he was 14. Kyoya had hated him then… until Kaoru had been backed into selling drugs. Yuzuha had started taking drugs when Kaoru was just 13. She had almost gotten caught buying on several occasions… so Kaoru bought it for her at a discounted price. He didn't know what to do back then other than selling.

He even remembered his dad threatening him to do something about Yuzuha's addiction or that he would strangle them both in their sleep; so Kaoru had.

"Don't let Akito hear you say that," Kaoru replied. "He would hunt you down."

"I don't worry about my brother," Kyoya said, reaching the third floor. "I'm more worried about you."

Kaoru looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

"He beat you last time because you didn't sell enough. How are your bruises?"

Kaoru shifted his sweatshirt uncomfortably. "Fine." He could almost imagine Akito's strangling hands around him again, so he took a deep breath. "I'm just fine."

Kyoya shook his head. "I'll get you out of here someday," he muttered again just as they pushed through the double doors.

Inside sat a group of teens around a fire in the large barrel in the middle. Kaoru avoided all eye contact until his eyes settled on Akito in the middle back, smoking a cigarette. "Ah, there's our rookie," Akito said, puffing out a light cloud of smoke.

Kaoru shuffled uncomfortably under the group's gaze. He couldn't believe they were still calling him the rookie! He's been here for two years! But he knew it was because he was their youngest seller and that they hadn't recruited anyone new since he'd joined. It had been too risky lately.

"How much did you sell kid?"

"All but one bag of Cocaine," Kaoru said quickly, looking down at his feet.

"Wow, our rookie is getting better," Akito said with a laugh.

"About time," another boy growled. "He's been here two years!"

"Well," Akito said, "now we can set him up with ten extra bags."

Kaoru's eyes widened and he looked at Kyoya. Kyoya looked at him apologetically, knowing that Akito was doing this just to make things worse for Kaoru. Kaoru already had trouble selling what he had now!

"Bring your backpack over here," Akito said, motioning him over.

Kaoru swung his backpack off and walked slowly through the glaring group of about 15 teens. He set the bag down on an open lawn chair and waited. Two other boys came forward and started throwing packets into the bag. It was an assortment; Kaoru recognized the Cocaine and the marijuana. Those were his easier sells.

"And this is for your momma," Akito sneered as he threw a smaller packet at Kaoru's feet.

The other boys laughed as Kaoru bent down and picked up the bag in indignation. They thrust his backpack at him as he straightened. Kaoru stumbled just slightly at the sudden weight. Akito stood from his chair and took another drag. "Now you better sell all of this, Kaoru, or next week won't be so pretty. You don't want your first day of school to start with a black eye do you?"

Kaoru shook his head and locked eyes strongly with Akito, trying to be brave. "No, I don't," Kaoru stated roughly.

Akito nodded approvingly before dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

"I'll walk him out," Kyoya said immediately, grabbing Kaoru by the shoulder and steering him to the doors.

When they were out of range and ear shot, Kyoya sighed. "I'll help you the best I can."

Kaoru shook his head. "No Kyoya," he said, slinging the backpack onto his shoulders. "I'm going to learn to do this right. I'll sell all of these by next week, just you watch."


	14. Chapter 14

His phone buzzed disruptively in his pocket, so Kaoru quickly plucked it out to stare at the screen. Hikaru was calling him. But it was a bad time, so he silenced the phone before throwing it back into his pocket.

Kaoru looked back up at the teenager in front of him; he was sure he had seen this kid somewhere at school. "Where's the money you owe me?" Kaoru asked, leaning back against the brick wall of the backside of the grocery store.

"Here," the kid said quickly, handing Kaoru a wad of cash, bundled together by a black rubber band. Kaoru took the cash gingerly before dropping down next to his backpack. He fished his hand through the bag until he found the small bag hidden between the notebooks and binders lying uselessly there.

He tossed the bag to the boy and he caught it quickly. "Thanks," the boy whispered.

"Go," Kaoru urged, looking around the corner at the parking lot, looking for witnesses. When he turned back, the boy was far away. Kaoru slumped against the wall, dropping to the floor, and began counting the cash. Suddenly his phone buzzed a second time and he wrenched it from his pocket. Kaoru set the phone on the cement and stared into the harsh glow as it rang and rang and rang.

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><p>Kaoru slammed his dishes into the sink along with his tray and clutched the edges of the sink. He breathed hard with his eyes closed and his bangs hanging in his face. With a deeper breath, he kicked the counter in his frustration.<p>

"Kaoru? Are you okay?"

Quickly, Kaoru straightened and turned to face Tamaki. "Yeah," he said, scrubbing a hand over his face and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just need a minute."

"That guy seemed like a jerk," Tamaki said, coming forward with his own brown tray of dishes. He began to sort his dishes into the correct piles, sorting Kaoru's as well. "What was he yelling at you about anyway?"

"I dropped his food right in front of his booth," Kaoru responded somberly.

"Well that's a stupid reason to yell at somebody," Tamaki replied, scraping food into the trash.

Kaoru didn't respond. He was too busy remembering the words _pathetic _and _useless._

"Kaoru?" Tamaki asked stepping away from the sink with a tray clutched to his chest. He moves a hand in front of Kaoru's eyes to snap him out of it. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Kaoru said quickly. "Just give me a minute."

"Okay, okay," Tamaki replied, approaching the door. But he paused, staring out the small window into the restaurant. "Hey, Kaoru? Your brother is here."

Kaoru looked up sharply. "Seriously? Tell him I'm not here!"

"And if he doesn't leave?"

"Just do it," Kaoru hissed as he struggled his apron off. "I'll be out back." And he quickly slipped out the back door to avoid his brother once again.

* * *

><p>"Why is there so little of this?" Mom asked sharply, shaking the small bag, holding her drugs.<p>

Kaoru stared at her with wide eyes, backed against the front door which was triple locked. "Mom, I didn't sell enough last week. I'm sorry," Kaoru pleaded, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Well tried harder next time!" she screamed hysterically. She raised a hand slowly. Kaoru could see himself reflected in her cold eyes. She brought the hand down hard with a harsh slap. Kaoru's head was forced to the left at the force against his cheek. He felt his eyes warm and sting.

"I will, mom, I promise," Kaoru said quickly. He turned to look up at his mother.

Suddenly she was wrapping Kaoru into a rare hug, holding him loosely. "I know baby. I know you'll make me proud."

Kaoru nodded against her shoulder. He felt the forceful urge to make her proud, to finally make her love him. Kaoru raised his arms to hug his mother back, but she pulled away abruptly. "I will expect more next time," she said firmly, holding up the small bag. Then she turned and trudged into her room.

Kaoru backed into the corner by the door and sat numbly onto the carpeted floor.

* * *

><p>The room was dark as Kaoru stared straight at the soft glow of light outside of his window. The pressure was on. It was halfway through the week and he had only sold about half. He breathed slowly, sitting on the bed with his full clothing on.<p>

The door rang sharply against Kaoru's thoughts, and he closed his eyes. Really? Now? He glanced at the clock. It was 10:37.

Getting up slowly, Kaoru scurried stealthily out into the living room, closing his bedroom door silently. He leaned up against the door, looking through the peephole. Hikaru stood on the other side of the door and his face was distorted by the peephole. Kaoru stood there, staring as Hikaru stared unseeingly back. Kaoru looked over his shoulder and was happy to see that his mom's door was closed and silent.

But when Kaoru looked back, he panicked to see Hikaru had his phone out. "Shit," he hissed to himself, grabbing his phone from his pocket. He turned the phone to silent just a second before the text reached his phone. He sighed in relief.

* * *

><p>Kaoru had sold the majority of the drugs and he smiled for the first time all week, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Quickly, he unlocked his door, dodging the stares of his neighbor, Mr. Park. He entered the living room to find his mother sitting at the kitchen table in her night gown with coffee clutched between her hands. It was two in the afternoon.<p>

He kicked off his shoes, opening his mouth to speak when he was silenced by the glare. He stopped in the middle of the living room, staring and waiting.

"Why are you here?"

"I live here," Kaoru said slowly, not knowing where this was going.

"Well maybe you should have gone with your father! Maybe you should just have left too!"

Kaoru felt his face fall but he didn't dare to move. "Mom, that's not fair."

She began to cry. Kaoru was startled as she wrapped her face into her hands. Crossing the room, Kaoru wrapped a hand around her shoulder. "It's okay mom, I won't leave you."

"You better not!" She hollered, pushing his arm away. "This is just funny isn't it? First Hikaru leaves me and then your father… and you know what I got stuck with? You."

Kaoru backed away suddenly as if he got burned. "Mom!" he cried, feeling the frustrated tears leap instantly from his eyes.

"Just get out of my sight! Don't come out for the rest of the night!" She screamed, throwing the spoon from her coffee at Kaoru's head.

Kaoru jumped out the way before dodging into his room. He slammed the door shut before collapsing onto the bed, sobbing.

* * *

><p><strong>I wanted to create a chapter with more of what Kaoru is going through. Let me know what you think!<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

Hikaru didn't hear from Kaoru for the rest of the week after that night when he found out about the drugs. He tried everything to talk to his brother: call him, knock his apartment door, and talk to Tamaki and Kamaza at the diner. But they had promptly told him that Kaoru had taken the remainder of the week off and neither had heard from him either.

Hikaru was so worried that one night he paced outside of Kaoru's apartment, waiting and waiting for a sighting of Kaoru. An hour passed by. So Hikaru went to the alleyway and scaled the tall dumpster. When he was on top, he stared up at the ledge of the apartment and the window beyond it. Kaoru's room was dark but he still had to try. So he jumped and grabbed onto the ledge, struggled to hoist himself up. He failed miserably. It baffled him to know that Kaoru did this countless times.

"It'll be alright," Haruhi's voice snapped him back as she placed a soft hand against his new blue tee shirt.

Sighing, Hikaru looked at her. She had her brunette hair clipped up prettily and she was wearing a flowery dress. Yes, a _dress._ Hikaru couldn't believe it. She was clutching her one-shoulder bag tightly to her side as they walked. Hikaru straightened his own backpack. "I'm not so sure," Hikaru replied. He had told Haruhi everything that had happened with Kaoru. She was the only one he could tell without judgment.

"Hey, maybe you'll see him today. Maybe he'll be in one of your classes. Then you can keep a good eye on him."

Hikaru glanced up at the looming high school before them. It sat up on a small hill and there were several staircases leading up to it from the parking lot. "I don't even know if he's going to our high school," he reasoned.

"This is the only public school in Ouran, Hikaru. It's this or the academy, and somehow I doubt he could afford that." They made their way into the bustling crowd.

"But what if he skips? He seems like he would do that."

Haruhi looked at him sternly. "Don't judge him so harshly," she said. But then she smiled slowly. "In fact, isn't that him over there?"

Hikaru swung around on his heels to see Kaoru standing casually under a sycamore tree, chatting to a group of kids that Hikaru did not recognize. Hikaru felt his anger boil as he watched Kaoru laugh. Kaoru didn't bother to talk to Hikaru in _days._

"Hikaru, don't," Haruhi said, placing a steadying hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"I wasn't going to do anything," Hikaru said, looking away from Kaoru and continuing their walk up to the staircases.

"You just seemed like you would confront him right then and there," Haruhi said as they climbed the stairs. Hikaru didn't deny it.

* * *

><p>It took Hikaru longer than he expected to find his locker; so when he arrived in his first period class, he scooted into the classroom just as the teacher tried to close the door. "You're just in time," the old woman said.<p>

Hikaru turned his charm on her with a great big smile. "I wouldn't miss Home Ec. for anything in the world."

The teacher laughed and pointed him into the room. "Don't try to butter me up," She laughed.

Hikaru walked further into the classroom to find the other students laughing and talking animatedly. This was something Hikaru enjoyed about the first day of school. He scanned the room for an open seat from where he stood at the back of the room. All of the students were faced away from him towards the white board. The edges of the room were lined with ovens and cooking supplies and counters. In one corner sat a whole shelving of sewing machines, fabrics and thread. Hikaru skimmed his eyes across the room once more. And then he saw the familiar orange, shaggy hair.

Hikaru waltzed across the room to the last row and slammed his backpack down on an empty desk across from his twin. Kaoru looked up sharply, a look of surprise on his face. Kaoru immediately groaned and dropped his head down on the desk.

"Can't get rid of me, can you?" Hikaru said, half-joking, half-serious.

Kaoru brought his head back up and gave Hikaru his signature glare.

Hikaru stared back, just smiling as wide as he could.

Suddenly Kaoru moved forward, leaning across the aisle. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked Hikaru quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"This," Kaoru hissed, gesturing to Hikaru's smiling face. "You just won't leave me alone. Why? Seriously, I want to know why." Kaoru's eyes were hard.

Hikaru let his smile drop. "Look Kaoru, I know you don't want to talk about it. I get that after almost a full week of being ignored. But that doesn't mean we can't talk." Hikaru tilted his head, watching his twin brother frown. "I'm your brother, Kaoru. You can't get rid of me anymore."

Kaoru looked at Hikaru incredulously. His mouth hung open in disbelief. "You?" he asked in disbelief. "_You_ are just going to sit back and let me do this?"

Hikaru's jaw twitched; he wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into his brother. But instead, he smiled and pressed a hand over his heart. "I swear I will stay out of it as long as you don't ignore me anymore." Kaoru looked at Hikaru in hesitation and he opened his mouth to speak. Hikaru cut him off quickly, "And you have to come over to my house tomorrow. My family misses you."

Kaoru pressed his lips into a hard line and leaned back into his desk chair. The home economics teacher approached the front of the room, where her desk sat, and began to shuffle through some papers. "You won't ask any questions?" Kaoru asked quickly.

"Nope."

"You won't bother me continuously?"

"Nuh-uh." Hikaru shook his head.

Kaoru looked like he was at a loss. "Fine," he said quickly. "But I'll have to ask my mom about tomorrow. She's crazy on school nights."

"No worries," Hikaru said with a brilliant smile. "I'll ask her for you. She won't be able to say no!"

Kaoru puffed out a heavy breath and turned his attention on the teacher. Hikaru was ecstatic; so begins phase one…

* * *

><p><strong>So, Hikaru has a plan to help Kaoru. What do you think will happen? I'd like to hear from you!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

Kaoru groaned. "He wants to be, like, friends or something," Kaoru moaned to Kyoya. It was lunch time and Kaoru was carrying his tray of chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes across the cafeteria to find a table. This was the only time during the day that Kaoru could hang out with Kyoya; Kaoru's sophomore classes were on the opposite side of the building of Kyoya's junior classes.

"Then just let him be friends with you. He might leave you alone if you do," Kyoya stated, going for the obvious solution.

"But you don't understand; I don't have friends." Kaoru set his tray down on an empty table and flopped down on the hard plastic seat. Their table was towards the back, near the wall.

Kyoya sat down across from him. "If I recall correctly, I was under the impression that we were friends."

Kaoru scraped his fork through his potatoes. "Well you don't count. You already know everything about me because you kind of have to."

Kyoya shook his head and bit into his burger. He swallowed quickly before saying, "You can still be friends with him. Just hold him at arm's length. I do it all the time."

"Whatever," Kaoru replied, sulking. He just didn't want to get Hikaru involved in his messed up life.

"Besides, Hikaru said he wouldn't pry anymore. Isn't that what you said just five minutes ago?"

"Let's drop it Kyoya, okay?" Kaoru urged. He didn't want any more reasons to let himself feel comfortable with his new-found brother.

Suddenly two hands were slapped over Kaoru's eyes and loud voice sang, "Guess who!"

"Get the hell off of me Tamaki!" Kaoru slid the hands off his face and Tamaki immediately took a seat next to Kaoru with a huge grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Kaoru hissed at Tamaki, dropping his fork onto his tray.

Tamaki shrugged. "I can't hang out with you at school? I can only talk to you at work?"

"Yes," Kaoru said flatly.

Tamaki tipped his head back and laughed. "You're funny, Kaoru." Kaoru glared. He was being serious. "Oh, hey! You're from my history class, aren't you?" Tamaki addressed Kyoya.

"Yeah, you're Tamaki Suoh, junior, right?" Kyoya asked casually.

"Yup! And you're the weird, brooding kid that sits in the corner!" Tamaki said with a huge grin.

Kyoya's mouth hung open in disbelief, not knowing what to say. Then a fourth body sat down next to Kyoya.

"Hey Hikaru!" Tamaki greeted as Hikaru put his tray of food down on the table.

"Hi, Tamaki. Oh, Kaoru, it looks like we like the same food!" Hikaru exclaimed, waving a chicken nugget at Kaoru. Kaoru took one look at his own tray before pushing the food away, no longer hungry.

"So this is the infamous Hikaru. I'm Kyoya," Kyoya said suddenly, studying Hikaru over the rims of his glasses. "Kaoru's been telling me that you are trying to force him to be your friend."

Kaoru groaned and put his head down on the table.

Hikaru, on the other hand, just laughed. "Damn straight!"

The group laughed and suddenly the air around the table seemed to relax. Kaoru watched in awe as they began to chat easily as if they've known each other for years. These were his friends, Kaoru realized abruptly, and they were becoming friends with each other… it was an idea that completely appalling.

"I think my other friends will be joining us if that's okay," Hikaru said, pointing his fork around the group.

"Mmm-hmm," Kyoya agreed, nodding with his mouth full.

But Kaoru flashed to his feet, panicked. His three friends stared up at him in surprise. "Uh… I have something I have to do." Kaoru hastily picked up his tray and turned on his heel.

As he walked away, Tamaki called after him, "What do you have to do? It's the first day of school!"

Kaoru ignored him and went to dump his tray. Afterwards, he promptly made his way into the hall to the bathroom. It was quiet and empty. So Kaoru picked the last stall and locked himself inside. He sat down on the toilet seat and put his head in his hands. It was overwhelming—seeing his friends all at the same table. Kaoru had kept his friends apart for a reason; it was to protect his self. If one turned on him, who was to say the rest would turn against him as well? He had a whole lifetime's experience of rejection; he wasn't ready to feel it again.

"Kaoru?" Hikaru's sudden voice in the bathroom ripped Kaoru from his thoughts. Kaoru wiped rapidly at his face, just now realizing that he had started crying. "Kaoru, are you taking a dump?"

Kaoru couldn't help but smile just slightly. Then it was gone in a flash. "Just leave me alone, Hikaru," Kaoru mumbled quietly.

Soft steps drifted across the room and stopped in front of Kaoru's stall. Kaoru should have known that Hikaru wouldn't leave him alone. "Why are you in there?" Hikaru asked softly.

"I don't know," Kaoru answered somewhat honestly. "I'm just… taking a breather."

"You know," Hikaru began, "You can talk to me about anything. I'm here to listen."

"You sound like a damn therapist."

Hikaru laughed softly but didn't say anymore. Instead, Kaoru watched Hikaru's legs crouch and something was tossed under the stall door. Kaoru instantly picked it up, recognizing its shape.

"Careful," Kaoru said, opening the door, "You'll turn into a girl one of these days." Kaoru waved Hikaru's paper heart in the air.

Hikaru nudged Kaoru. "And what a pretty girl I would make!"

"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Kaoru asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hikaru smacked Kaoru upside the head. "Don't be stealing my joke!" Hikaru began to walk towards the door. "Come on. I bet it's almost time for fifth period." Sure enough the five minute bell rang.

"What class do you have next?" Kaoru found himself asking.

Hikaru led the way out the door. The hall was already filling with bodies. "Uh, I think I have math."

"Sucks to be you," Kaoru grinned. The smile felt foreign on his face. "I have study hall."

They began walking, going with the flow of the crowd, in the direction of the sophomore locker bank. "Now you owe me a paper crane," Hikaru said suddenly. "I made you a heart, so you owe me."

"Oh hell no. There is no way we are starting something like that."

"But I gave you a heart," Hikaru said with a sideways glance, giving Kaoru puppy eyes.

Kaoru tried to shove the paper heart back at Hikaru. "Here then take it back!"

"Nope, no, that was a gift to you, Kaoru. Now accept it graciously!" Hikaru's voice was full of laughter. And then, without warning, Hikaru set off into the crowd.

Kaoru followed him, yelling, "I'm not making you a damn crane!"

"We'll see about that!" And with that, Hikaru waved at Kaoru before disappearing into the chaotic hall.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day, Tuesday after school, Hikaru followed Kaoru home. Well, it was more like Hikaru offered Kaoru a ride home because it was raining and he shoved Kaoru's bike into the back seat before Kaoru could answer, but _whatever._ Kaoru would still claim Hikaru to be a stalker.

Kaoru lead his brother to his apartment and was surprised to see the door was already unlocked. Inside, Kaoru was surprised to find his mother, dressed nicely in a long-forgotten dress… and the apartment was clean again. Kaoru just gaped while she went to greet Hikaru. "Hikaru! I heard you were stopping by!" Oh. That's right. Kaoru had mentioned that Hikaru was coming by on Tuesday. That explained everything.

Watching as Hikaru was swept into a huge bear hug by his mother, Kaoru couldn't help the small pang of jealousy blossoming in his chest. "Nice to see you again Yuzuha," Hikaru said as they pulled away. "Hey I was wondering… could I borrow Kaoru for the night? My parents want to have him over again."

"I don't know, it's a school night you know," Kaoru's mom said slowly. Kaoru glared at her over Hikaru's shoulder. She didn't give a shit whether he came or not; they both knew that.

But Hikaru didn't. "I promise I'll bring him back at eleven."

"Make it ten," Yuzuha bargained with a warm smile. Kaoru was going to be sick from all of the fake motherly concern.

"Deal," Hikaru said excitedly. He turned to Kaoru and waved him to the door. "Let's go! It's only four but I have a lot planned for us." Kaoru followed Hikaru apprehensively out the door.

They arrived at Hikaru's house a little while later. And as soon as Kaoru entered the house, he said, "You gotta be shitting me." In the living room sat three of Hikaru's friends. His mind blanked when he tried to remember their names.

"I shit you not," Hikaru replied happily. "My friends really want to hang out with you and I knew you wouldn't come if I told you. You remember them, right?"

Kaoru shot him a pained look.

"Right. You're bad with names."

"How did you know that?" Kaoru raised his eyebrows.

"Because I am too," Hikaru explained nonchalantly. Well, that's weird. Now Kaoru was a little freaked. "Anyway, that's Haruhi, Mori and Honey," Hikaru said, pointing at each one.

"Right, now I remember," Kaoru said quickly.

"Whatever you say, Kaoru," Hikaru laughed. "Alright, who's ready to play a little Mario Kart?"

"I want to play against Kaoru," Haruhi growled maliciously. "I bet I could kick your ass!" Kaoru smiled just barely. He's sure she could. He didn't really have any video game experience since he's never actually owned a gaming system.

"Let's do this!" Hikaru roared, passing a controller to Kaoru. Hikaru quickly showed the controls to Kaoru and they were off.

The game was really fun, Kaoru decided. Even though he had lost miserably; he'd fallen down a couple cliffs, gone the wrong way, hit a few trees… but it was still _fun._ After that, they watched a scary movie. They all laughed as Honey jumped every time something moved.

Dinner was after that and Hikaru's parents made lasagna. It was the most brilliant thing Kaoru had ever tasted.

A brawl followed dinner in the living room. To sum it up, Mori ended pinning Hikaru to the floor in a flurry of laughter.

And by the time Hikaru was taking Kaoru home, Kaoru was completely comfortable with Hikaru and his friends. That's what scared him the most.

* * *

><p>Wednesday went fast for Kaoru. Before he knew it, it was eight PM and time to head out. So Kaoru reflexively jumped out his bedroom window and went into the night. He wasn't nervous tonight. In fact, he was completely confident. He had sold <em>all <em>of his drugs. Who knew that Kaoru had it in him?

He walked purposefully down his usual alleyway when he heard a soft rustling from behind him. Kaoru paused, listening and staining his eyes. He saw no one but somehow he could sense someone nearby. Kaoru turned slowly back and continued walking. He tightened his grip on his backpack, clutching hard. No one was jumping him tonight. Not now when things were going so well for him.

It was a few blocks of alleyways before Kaoru knew for sure that he was being followed. He could hear the faint footsteps. Kaoru stopped abruptly and spun around. "I know you're out there. You really suck at being stealthy!" Kaoru called out into the night. He struggled to keep the tremor out of his voice.

There was no reply. The area was silent to Kaoru's ears. "Oh come on, be a man and face me!"

Suddenly a person stepped out into alleyway, jolting Kaoru's heart. He hadn't actually expected the guy to reveal himself! But then Kaoru recognized his stalker. "_Hikaru?_"

Kaoru held his hands in fists, breathing hard. "Don't scare me like that!" Hikaru smiled sheepishly at him. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway?"

"Just taking a walk," Hikaru began, shuffling uneasily.

"You were following," Kaoru stated. "I can't believe this. Just two days ago you said you would stay out of my business."

"Someone has to watch out for you," Hikaru explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Someone has to stop you before you get in too deep."

Kaoru blinked slowly. "I already have Kyoya as a mother-hen, I don't need another one."

"Wait, Kyoya knows about this?" Hikaru asked, coming to stand by Kaoru.

"No," Kaoru said too quickly. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Hikaru was giving him a look of disbelief. "Just go home Hikaru. I'll talk to you afterward, I promise."

Hikaru's face hardened. "No, I'm coming with you."

"It's your funeral," Kaoru replied. But he didn't really mean that. His heart was pumping sporadically. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to ditch his brother on the way to the warehouse. Kaoru began walking fast. Hikaru ran to catch up with Kaoru's sudden movement.

They walked in silence for a few minutes but then Kaoru broke it, saying, "When we get there, Hikaru, you have to stay across the street. You're not coming in." Hikaru opened his mouth but Kaoru sent him a glare. "I mean it. I can't go in there when I have to worry about you too."

Hikaru's eyes were wide. "What are you going to do?"

"It's a drug deal," Kaoru said flatly. "I don't want you involved."

Hikaru looked pale. "You got it?" Kaoru snapped harshly. Hikaru nodded slowly, looking absolutely horrified. And he ought to be; they were on Kaoru's turf now. Kaoru continued walking, leading the way through the shadows.

* * *

><p><strong>I was getting impatient and had to update a second time today... but I'm sure you don't mind. lol<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

Standing in the shadows of a nearby building, Hikaru watched his brother cross the empty street to the huge factory. It looked utterly terrifying standing there all dark and abandoned with an overgrown lawn. Kaoru faded into the background like a ghost. Hikaru's heart rate pulsed forcefully.

Hikaru backed up against the wall behind him and began to drum his fingers against the bricks tunelessly. He checked his phone quickly for the time. It was 10:54. Hikaru sighed and replaced it into his pocket. Kaoru had said it would be about 20 minutes until he returned. Hikaru scuffed his shoes across the dirt, making designs. Then he checked his phone again. 10:58. He hung his head, breathing out a breath of frustration. At this rate, it would take forever.

"Hey kid!" a sudden voice called, scaring the shit of Hikaru. He turned around and jolted. "What are you doing out here?" Hikaru was faced with sullen-looking police officer. He switched a flashlight on and checked Hikaru's eyes. Hikaru blinked hard.

"U-uh," Hikaru stammered. His gaze snapped to the warehouse and back again.

"Well?" The officer asked, lowering the flashlight just slightly.

"Uh, um," Hikaru said stupidly.

The man sighed heavily and worked a hand against his temple. "Look kid, I have no time for this. You're out past curfew."

Hikaru checked his phone. "But it's only 10:59."

The officer rolled his eyes. "Well it will be past curfew by the time you get home. Now tell me your address. I'm going to have to take you home."

Hikaru groaned. "Oh God, my mom is going to kill me."

"That's what they all say," the officer replied. "This way." He motioned for Hikaru to follow. For a moment, Hikaru was tempted to run away from the officer. Wouldn't that be a story to tell Kaoru! But instead, he gave one last worried glance at the warehouse before following the officer to his car parked a little ways down the street.

Thankfully, Hikaru was allowed to ride in the front seat. And when they reached his neighborhood, Hikaru scrunched far down in the chair, trying to keep away from the windows. He could only imagine what his soccer mom neighbors would think if they saw him.

When they came to a park in his driveway, Hikaru was in a cold sweat. He burst out of the car quickly and ran up to the front door. The less the neighbors saw, the better. The officer came to stand behind Hikaru and promptly pressed the doorbell. Then they just had to wait.

It was Hikaru's mom that swung the door open and the surprised angle of her brow was priceless. Hikaru immediately started to laugh. "Hikaru?" Mom cried, looking from the officer to her child.

"Miss, your son was out after curfew," the officer explained.

His mom's eyes went wide before she sent her son a glare. "Hikaru stop laughing this instant." Hikaru silenced and she turned back to the man. "And where was he?" There was obvious anger in her voice. Suddenly this whole situation didn't seem too funny anymore.

"He was in business district off of 23rd Street by the empty warehouses. No kid should be around that area at this time of night," the officer said with concern. "It's a dangerous place."

"Well, I'm glad you brought him home," she replied shortly. "Be assured that he will be punished."

The officer smiled. "It's not my place, 'mam." Then he tipped his hat and began to walk away down their garden path. "Have a good night," he tossed over his shoulder.

Hikaru and his mother stared after him as he climbed into his car, starting his engine. "Did he just call me 'mam?" His mother asked abruptly. "I'm not _that_ old!"

Hikaru laughed and pushed open the door behind her, slipping inside. "No mom, you're younger than ever." Then Hikaru exaggerated a long yawn. "Oh man, I'm tired. I think I'll head to bed."

She nodded in approval. "You do that. But we will talk about this in the morning."

Before he could get a tongue lashing, Hikaru hurried up into his room. He collapsed into his fluffy sheets, throwing an arm up over his eyes. His veins were still racing; what a crazy night! Blowing out a deep breath, he kicked off his shoes and got comfy.

It was then that his phone began to buzz, slow and dull. Hikaru dug the phone from his pocket and immediately held it to his ear. "Hello?" he greeted lazily.

"Hikaru, where the hell are you?" Kaoru's angry voice burst from the speaker.

Hikaru immediately sat straight up in his bed. "Kaoru?"

"No, it's Santa Clause! Who the fuck else would I be?"

Hikaru turned his head to glance at his clock-radio. It was glowing 11:14. "What's wrong, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked worriedly.

"What's wrong? What's wrong, he asks!" Hikaru had to hold the phone slightly away from his ear from all of the yelling. In the background, Hikaru heard a low laugh.

"Hey, is that Kyoya? Tell him hi for me!"

"Un-frickin-believable!" Kaoru cried.

Suddenly the voice changed in the speaker. "Don't worry about Kaoru, Hikaru," Kyoya's voice resonated through the phone. "He's fine; the meeting went well. He was just a little worried… when you didn't appear to be anywhere near where he left you."

Hikaru was a silent for a moment. He hadn't thought about that. "Give me the phone back!" Kaoru demanded in the background. And then Kaoru's yelling was back in Hikaru's ear. "The next time I see you Hikaru, I swear, I will kick your ass. I will…" Hikaru didn't listen too much of it after that. He let Kaoru vent on him.

"Kaoru?" Hikaru asked in the middle of a particularly long description of how Hikaru would look after Kaoru was done with him. The one word silenced Kaoru on the other line. "Kaoru, were you really that scared?"

There was silence and Hikaru could almost picture his brother glaring at him and denying everything but Kaoru's words were unexpected, "We're brothers and we were in a bad area… and then you were just gone. What was I supposed to think?"

Hikaru smiled. This was the first time Kaoru had called him his brother. And before Hikaru could say anything in response, Kaoru said quietly, "See you at school," and hung up.


	19. Chapter 19

Kaoru pulled his bright green converse shoes off his feet and threw them onto the rug; he then shrugged off his backpack and set it down on the couch. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was nearing midnight. But nonetheless he opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. He sighed as he realized that it was an empty carton. He promptly threw it into the trash.

"Kaoru, is that you?" Mom called, exiting her room. She glanced at his backpack on the couch before addressing him, "How did it go sweetie?" Kaoru's eyes widened. She was smiling. At Kaoru. He was baffled.

It took him a minute to respond. "Good, good. It was just fine," he said as he crossed the room and picked up his backpack. He unzipped the front pocket quickly and pulled out a bag. "Here mom," he said softly, putting the bag of drugs in her outstretched hands. This week's supply was much more than last week's.

Her smile was wide and instantaneous. And then she pulled her son into a tight hug. Once again she had caught Kaoru by complete surprise but this time Kaoru remembered to wrap his arms around her waist while she had him around the shoulders. She even reached up and clutched his head to the crook of her neck. "You know I love you, right?" She whispered softly, stroking his hair. She pressed a kiss onto his temple.

His eyes were watering and he gulped hard. "I… love you too, mom," he murmured into her shoulder. She ruffled his hair one last time before pulling away. His chest was practically glowing with the high of the hug. He couldn't even recall her telling him she loved him prior to today.

He dropped his head as they stepped apart; his cheeks flamed with sudden embarrassment. "Hey," she said, lifting his chin with two fingers. "I really mean it Kaoru, okay?" She smiled fully at him.

Kaoru completely felt like bawling like a little baby, but instead he sucked in a shaky breath and smiling. "Yeah."

She patted him warmly on the shoulder before taking the baggie and walking back into her room, closing the door. Kaoru stared at the door for a while after, wondering what the hell just happened.

But finally he shook himself and decided to get ready for bed. He walked into the bathroom, pausing in front of the mirror. He was smiling… He wiggled his cheeks, forcing himself to stop smiling. That's better; his smiles were hideous.

He then began to undress for the shower. He whipped off his shirt and stopped, leaning into the mirror. His bruised were now a pale yellow, fading into his skin. Running his fingers over the bruised skin above his collar bone, he realized it no longer throbbed to the touch. He blew out a slow breath. In the back of his mind he wondered what his mom would do if she ever found out how horribly he'd gotten beaten in the past.

Kaoru took his shower and afterwards, he collapsed into bed as he tugged on his sweatpants, his hair still slightly wet. He turned on his radio and relished in the soft notes. And in no time at all, Kaoru slipped into sleep with his lamp still glowing lowly.

It was 3 AM when Kaoru jolted awake, hearing a crash from somewhere outside his bedroom. He lay there, frozen, not sure what he heard. His radio was still playing; he switched it off, blinking blearily against the light. Then he sat up, straining his ears.

The apartment was silent from what he could tell. But there was a bad feeling settling in the pit of his stomach leaving him breathless. He swung his legs off the bed, stretching his arms. His eyes caught his reflection of his bare chest in the window, so he immediately snapped the blinds closed.

He snapped off his lamp on his way out of the room. The moonlight was filtering through the front window in the living room. Otherwise it was completely dark. Kaoru stood still, blinking to get used to the dark.

The locks on the door were the first thing he checked. They were secure. He moved to the window. It was latched tight.

He turned around and stared wearily around the apartment. Had he imagined the crash? Rocking on his feet for a few seconds, he tried to clear the sleep from his mind.

And then he realized. "Mom?" he called out slowly. His voice sounded harsh against the silence. His walk became a sprint across the room to her door which he wrenched open. He flipped on the light and cried out at the sight.

Inside his mother's ever-messy room was his mother, lying on the floor with a small smear of blood trickling down the side of her head. His eyes flashed to the corner of the room. Her glass corner table was broken into shards, scattering near his mom. She must have fallen on it.

"Mom!" he cried. His voice was high. He raced to her side, dropping to his knees. He felt glass crunch under his knees. "Mom?" He touched her shoulder but she didn't respond. "Oh God," he sobbed. He took his mother and rolled his slowly over to face upwards and touched his fingers to her neck, checking for the pulse. It was there but it was slow, so slow. He looked closer, noticing how short her breathing was. He shook her slowly while tears streamed down his face. "Mom, wake up!" Her head lulled limply against the carpet. He glanced sharply to the bed. He paled immediately. Across the bed, scattered, was a white powder… and small white pills. Kaoru's eyes widened. Those were his pills from when he broke his leg a year ago.

His breathing stuttered and let go of his mother's shirt. Racing into the kitchen, he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and his cell phone from his backpack before reappearing in her room. "Come on mom," he urged, ripping off the cap. He splashed water over her face. She didn't move. A sob ripped from Kaoru's chest. Fear was creeping up his spine.

Desperately, he opened his phone and dialed 911. His was call was answered almost immediately. Without listening to what the dispatcher said, Kaoru sobbed into the phone. "It's my mom, sh-she's not waking up!" he cried. "I don't… She's barely breathing." His whole body was trembling. The dispatcher asked for his address and told him that an ambulance was on the way.

Kaoru cried hard; the tears dripping into his lap. Why? Why couldn't anything go Kaoru's way at least once?

Off in the distance Kaoru could hear the sirens growing louder and louder. And suddenly Kaoru remembered his backpack that was sitting in the living room, full of drugs. "Shit!" he cried in frustration.

He burst out of the room, grabbed the backpack and slung it over his right shoulder. He slammed into his room and crossed the room to the corner just below the window. Crouching down, he wedged his fingers between the carpet and the wall. The carpet peeled back easily, revealing a loose floorboard. He shoved the backpack into the small whole unceremoniously with his pulse racing.

When everything was put back into place, Kaoru walked like a zombie back to his mother's room, dropping to her side. He pulled her unconscious form into his lap and held her gently. "It-It will be okay mom, I promise," he whispered between broken sobs. The sirens grew louder and louder.

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><p><strong>REVIEW! Please?<strong>


	20. Chapter 20

The paramedics flooded into Kaoru's apartment in a whirlwind. Kaoru was shoved aside as they hurried in the direction he pointed out.

Kaoru didn't remember much of what happened in those few daunting minutes; his pulse pounded in his ears, his vision clouded. He wasn't aware of anything, not until he blinked and he was being shoved inside the ambulance, pushed into the seat next to his mother's stretcher. His breath caught.

The doors were slammed shut and Kaoru flinched at the sudden noises flooding back into his senses. And suddenly the vehicle was lurching forward in a tangle of sirens and flashing red and blue lights. His gaze snapped back to his mother. Her face was covered by a breathing mask; her breathing was so timed, so shallow. Sweat slicked down her face and stuck strands of hair to her skin. She was pale with a twinge of blue on her lips.

"Mom," he sobbed, reaching forward tentatively to grab her limp hand. The fingers were so cold. "Mom, don't leave me. You're all I have…" A tear streamed down his face and he held on tighter. "I know we don't always get along, but we need each other, ya know?" He looked through blurry tears at her. She wasn't going to reply, he knew that, but he kept hoping. He would rather her to yell at him than be so deathly still.

Kaoru didn't believe in God, but suddenly he found himself muttering a soundless prayer. If she lived, then he would know that maybe there was some good out there.

The ambulance swung sharply around a corner and Kaoru's knees were thrown painfully against the gurney. But he took the pain in ease, in fact he was glad for it; it was a distraction he had not expected.

"You need to sit back, sir," the paramedic commanded over the piercing sirens, worry and annoyance written all of his face. Kaoru scooted back into the seat jerkily and took one hand of his mother's to hold on to the side of the seat.

They arrived at the hospital downtown in no time at all; Kaoru didn't even know how it could be possible to go through these streets so quickly. And then they were pushing him back, wrenching his hand from his mother's. Kaoru felt lost without the physical connection.

He leaped out of the ambulance in a panic. "We don't have insurance," Kaoru blurted out. He tried to follow where they were taking his mother but a nurse held him back at the entrance of emergency lobby.

"It's alright," she said calmly. "We've got this all under control. For now, you'll have to wait in the lobby." She put her hand on his shoulder and guided him in through the sliding doors and pushed him into the uncomfortable chairs with the wooden arm rests. She walked away before he could reply. So he just watched his mother disappear beyond the doors on the far end of the room.

Kaoru was shaking; he wrapped his limbs into himself, staring at the floor. He was surrounded by people but he never felt more alone. Kaoru just sat numbly, waiting as his world slowly crashed in on itself.

Suddenly he couldn't breathe; the room was too small; there were too many people; he was so alone. He shot up from his chair, catching the attention of dozens around him, and bolted from the emergency room, nearly running into the doors as they opened. And then he was out in the cold night air.

But it was still too loud and too crowded. In front of him was an ambulance, its lights were flashing, and a group of people, talking loudly. Kaoru turned and stomped away into the shadows where he would feel comfortable. He walked right up to a tree and pressed his forehead against the scratchy bark. And then, out of impulse, he scraped his hand down the rough edges until it hurt. There was blood on his palm.

The emotional pain didn't lessen. In fact, it seemed to increase being out here with no one for comfort. He had been alone for most of his life but this is the first time he had felt completely uncertain of himself. Sucking in a shuddering breath, he reached into his pocket for his phone.

"Hikaru…" he whispered, thumbing the number pad. And before he knew it, he was calling Hikaru, pulling the phone to his ear. It was around four in the morning but Hikaru would answer, wouldn't he?

Ring, ring, ring.

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><p>Hikaru moaned, rolling over in his bed. Someone was calling at him at this hour? He could see the glow of the phone on his dresser as it buzzed noisily. Peaking over his pillow tiredly, Hikaru debated answering the call. It was probably Haruhi… wanting to talk about who knows the hell what.<p>

"Noooo," He groaned into his pillow, nestling deeper into the sheets. "Go away Haruhi."

And then, the buzzing stopped. Hikaru breathed out a sigh of relief as the room plunged back into darkness. Whoever it was, he would talk to them in the morning. He sighed, pushing everything into the back of his mind and drifted back into his dream land.

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><p>The ringing went to the answering machine and Kaoru snapped the phone shut in his despair; he felt broken. His chest was throbbing.<p>

He nervously tapped his phone against his palm and sucked in a deep breath to steady him. No, he couldn't rely on Hikaru. He couldn't rely on anyone. In fact, he never has. Kaoru could do this. He was strong and capable.

"Suck it up Kaoru," he said to himself, wiping away the tears in determination. "You've been alone this long, you can do it again." And when he wiped away the last tear, he straightened up, and tucked his phone away.

"Alright," he said and then he was walking back to the hospital. He avoided the eyes of the curious people of the waiting room as he reentered. Slowly, he sat himself back into the same chair and shot a steely glare at anyone that dared to look him in the eye. He didn't need anyone. He could handle anything.

But he felt so hollow.

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><p><strong>I've been so busy, and I have a busy week ahead of me. So my updates will be a little slower now. :**


	21. Chapter 21

The alarm sounded off loud and Hikaru jolted in his bed. "Ugh, nooo," Hikaru moaned, protesting into his pillow. He swung his arm out over the side of his bed, smacking his hand onto the snooze button. Peaking one eye open, he blinked against the harsh sunlight leaking through his blinds.

The room was silent again but he could hear the clashing and banging of dishes downstairs in the kitchen. That only meant one thing: Zen was home. Why else would she be making breakfast before she had to go to work?

But at that moment, Hikaru didn't care one bit. Not at all. He was going to get some well-needed sleep. Or so he thought.

The door slammed open, hitting the wall hard, and suddenly a body launched onto Hikaru, knocking him painfully in the ribs. "Rise and shine!" Zen cried, shaking the bed fiercely.

Hikaru picked up his pillow and launched it at his brother, hitting him square in the face. "Get out, you freak!" Hikaru hollered and he tried to kick his older brother off with his feet.

"Oh no you don't," Zen laughed, jumping off the bed. "You have to go to school."

"Can I just skip?" Hikaru moaned, pulling his blanket up over his head. "Tell mom I'm sick."

"Nope," Zen said. He yanked Hikaru's comforter off the bed and discarded it onto the floor. "Mom's making pancakes and sausage. You wouldn't want to miss that would you?"

Hikaru sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes. "Uh, fine," Hikaru grumbled and he swung his feet off the side. "Just let me take a shower and I'll be right down. I'm not an early riser like you." He eyed his brother's already-dressed form. He was wearing khaki shorts with a blue and gray striped tee. His black hair was mussed softly.

"Alright," Zen smiled, turning away, heading for the door.

"Hey why are you here anyway? It's Thursday! Don't you have class?"

Zen paused and looked back with a grin. "I skipped."

"You hypocrite!" Hikaru roared in amusement. He picked up his pillow again and chucked it. This time he missed as Zen ducked out into the hall.

Hikaru huffed and stood, crossing the room to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a clean pair of boxers. But he paused. His phone on top of the dresser was blinking slowly.

Snatching the small device up, he checked his missed alerts. He had one missed call… from Kaoru. What in the holy Hell? Kaoru had never called him before, let alone at four in the morning.

Without another thought, Hikaru quickly dialed Kaoru's number, listening to the ringing impatiently. He couldn't think of any reason that Kaoru would call him that wasn't horrible. "Come on, come on," Hikaru chanted worriedly into the phone. "Pick up." The ringing went to an answering machine. "Dang it."

He snapped his phone shut and held it his hand for a little bit longer. A terrifying chill ran down his spine. Something was wrong. So without delay, he retried the call. Once again it went to voicemail.

"Damn it Kaoru!" He scolded the phone. Hikaru threw the phone onto his bed and went through the motions of getting ready for school faster than he had ever done before. Maybe he would have some time to go to Kaoru's place before school.

He shrugged on a random shirt from his closet, not bothering to take a shower, and doused himself in his cologne. Close enough to a shower. Grabbing his bag, phone, and his keys, he made a quick escape out of his room and into the hall. His footsteps were quick as he bolted down the stairs. He stopped on the last stair and sat down, grabbing his shoes from the rug just by the door. He started to force them on.

"Hikaru, are you ready for your breakfast? It's all ready," his mother called, coming out of the dining room. She stopped, taking in his disheveled appearance. "In a hurry?"

"Yeah," Hikaru said, wedging on his second shoe on. "There's something I forgot to do." He didn't look up, focusing on his feet.

"You're not going to eat breakfast?" Zen asked with a mouthful of sausage. He sat at the table with his plate full of food.

"See you later," Hikaru called, racing to his feet and swinging the door open. He raced down onto the garden path, not bothering to close the door.

"Drive safe!" His mother called behind him.

Hikaru sent a vague wave over his shoulder and unlocked his car. Throwing his bag into the passenger seat, Hikaru jumped inside and jammed the key into the ignition. His small car roared to life and Hikaru smiled. He loved this car.

And he squealed into drive before he even had his seatbelt on. He buckled in, balancing the steering wheel, and then reached for his cell phone. Hikaru had to know what was up with Kaoru. He called again, and again, and again, all the way to Kaoru's apartment. He was just entering Kaoru's neighborhood when he finally got his brother to answer, "Hello?" Kaoru's voice was so lifeless and flat that it scared Hikaru.

"Kaoru are you okay?" he spoke fast.

"Yeah, just perfect," Kaoru bit out.

And that is how Hikaru knew Kaoru was not okay. "What's going on?"

There was utter silence on Kaoru's end.

"Are you at home Kaoru?" Hikaru tried again.

"No."

Oh no, not one-word answers. "Where are you?"

Kaoru breathed out slowly. "A-at the hospital." Kaoru's voice wavered.

Hikaru immediately pulled over on the street, slamming on his breaks. "What? What happened? What's going on?"

Kaoru sniffed through the phone. Hikaru's heart lurched. So many things raced through his mind at that moment. Hikaru was scared. He gripped the steering wheel hard.

"It's my mom," he said slowly; he sounded miserable and defeated. "Hikaru…"

"Don't worry, I'll be right there," Hikaru declared, cutting off Kaoru. He quickly turned his car back onto the road, making a U-turn for the hospital. "See you soon." And he snapped the phone shut.

He set both hands on the steering wheel in his determination. His eyebrows were set in a deep frown. Screw school, he was skipping.


	22. Chapter 22

Hikaru burst into the hospital with his phone out, reading the room number that Kaoru had sent him via text message just seconds ago. He raced past the waiting area and the front desk; people looked at him sharply as he stomped by, looking at him worriedly. Hikaru didn't care what any of them thought.

He worked his jaw as he reached the elevator. With a hard jab, Hikaru clicked the up button and stood back. The floor number four glowed above the elevator doors and did not move immediately. So Hikaru spun on his heels and headed into the empty stairway. Taking two stairs at a time, Hikaru raced up and up, not pausing for a breath of air.

Reaching the third floor, Hikaru swung through the door, surprising a nurse by almost running into her. Mumbling, "Sorry," he brushed past her and walked down the robin egg blue hallway, heading towards the rooms on the far end. It was long till he reached them.

At room 348, Hikaru slowed. He poked his head around the corner. The sight made him stop in his tracks.

Yuzuha was lying on the white-washed bed; her eyes were closed and she was unmoving. An IV was dug into her wrist. Kaoru sat by her side, staring at his mother intently. He was sitting in an old graying arm chair but he was sitting right on the edge, leaning forward. His two hands were wrapped around Yuzuha's left hand and he had them pressed to his lips.

Hikaru took a step forward and knocked twice on the open door. Kaoru looked up and laid Yuzuha's hand back onto the bed. "Hey," Hikaru greeted.

Kaoru eyes were emotionless as he glanced at Hikaru. "Hey."

Hikaru entered the room, approached the bed, and stopped just at the edge. He first looked at Yuzuha's sweat-plastered face. And then with a deep sigh, Hikaru looked at Kaoru.

But his brother looked down and away. "I don't think I can take much more of this," Kaoru spoke softly.

Hikaru tilted his head. He didn't quite know what Kaoru meant. "Huh?"

"This," Kaoru said simply. He flicked a hand at Yuzuha. And then his eyes flitted up at Hikaru; Hikaru's heart pounded painfully at the defeated look in Kaoru's eyes.

"This?" Hikaru said slowly.

"Yeah." Kaoru looked down and rested his head on his hands. "She overdosed… It's happened before too."

Hikaru was horrified. "That's horrible! I can't believe she-"

"No, don't blame this on her," Kaoru snapped suddenly, turning steely eyes on Hikaru. "This isn't her fault. She did this because of me."

Hikaru frowned. "That's not true. This isn't your fault."

"Of course it is!" Kaoru cried. He wrapped his arms around himself and looked back at his mom. "After dad left… two years ago, she just stopped going to work. She just gave up, you know?" Kaoru shifted uncomfortably. "Dad left because he couldn't stand us anymore; he didn't want to take care of me anymore. He told mom that she could have the useless son… I was fourteen at the time." Kaoru gulped. "Mom decided she didn't want to take care of me either, so she didn't work."

"Kaoru…" Hikaru whispered. His eyes were watering.

"And she started drinking… And she took a variety of drugs. It all sapped my diner money. So I began dealing." Kaoru paused to look down at his twisting hands. His eyebrows were pulled together.

"And tonight she overdosed again. You should have seen how much of her drugs were laid out on her bed."

Hikaru paled. He sat down on the chair just beside Kaoru. "Is she going to jail?"

Kaoru laughed harshly. "No, I hid all of the drugs, even her blanket with all of the drugs. The police couldn't find a thing. But she is on probation now." Kaoru reached forward and took his mother's hand in his once again. "And that's why this has to stop."

"Like completely?" Hikaru asked, sitting straight up.

"Completely," Kaoru replied with a nod. "I'm not selling drugs again. I can get a second job, maybe work at the grocery store. Anything to make sure this doesn't happen again." Kaoru looked up at Hikaru nervously.

"Oh, Kaoru," Hikaru murmured. And then he took his brother into a sudden hug, taking Kaoru by surprise.

Hikaru didn't pull back. He just held his brother; this was the best way he could help. So he stroked Kaoru's hair. Kaoru stayed limp, but just for a short moment. And then he pulled himself even further into Hikaru's embrace and rested his head against Hikaru's shoulder. Silent tears wetted Hikaru's shirt but he didn't say a word; Hikaru just soundlessly comforted.

"I hate her so much but I love her too," Kaoru sobbed.

Hikaru stiffened against his brother. "Is she really that bad?"

Kaoru pulled away, smiling lifelessly as he rubbed away his tears. His eyes were red. "Oh, you don't even the half of it. But I'll spare you the boring details."

Hikaru stared at his brother, stunned. This was so much more worse that he had imagined. "It'll be okay."

"Yeah, let's see how that goes."

"No, I'm serious," Hikaru said straight-faced, scooting to the edge of his chair. "I'll help you."

"I'm not going to get you involved."

Hikaru glared. "I told you this already: I'm your brother. And I'm going to help you no matter what."

Kaoru's eyes were wide in disbelief. "You…" He paused, tilting his head. His hair fell over his cheeks, making him look so vulnerable. "No matter what?" He whispered.

"Yeah. I'll always be here for you."

Kaoru stared for a few moments more. His eyes were clouded and wary. There was something almost hopeful in Kaoru's features. But then Kaoru's shields slammed back up, shutting Hikaru out once again. Kaoru's face formed into a scowl. "Whatever."

Hikaru hung his head, frustrated. "Kaoru, you're going to drive me up the wall, Kaoru," he moaned, rubbing a hand to his forehead.

"You would think you would get used to it by now since you never leave me alone anymore," Kaoru said with the slightest of smiles.

And Hikaru nodded. It was the truth; he should be used to it by now. But Kaoru was so damn unpredictable! No one could get used to that.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be at school right now?" Kaoru asked suddenly.

"Uhh..."

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><p><strong>Hey, thanks everyone who reviewed in the last chapter. It made me so happy and so motivated. <strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Four days. I haven't updated in four days. That just feels... weird. Well, now it's here and I really like this particular chapter, so I'd love to hear from you! Enjoy!**

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><p>Kaoru wasn't sure how long he had slept or when he had even fallen asleep, but when he awoke, he didn't immediately open his eyes. Instead, he just stiffened just so slightly, aware of someone carding affectionately through his long hair.<p>

With his eyes closed, Kaoru allowed himself to become aware of his surroundings. He was still sitting in the hard hospital chair, that he knew, and his head was tucked onto his arms which rested on his hospital bed. His face pointed away from his mother.

"It's so sad that I put him through this," his mother's voice resonated in his ears. Kaoru cracked one eye slightly, catching Hikaru's glare. But the glare wasn't aimed at him.

"Don't act so innocent," Hikaru said lowly, his eyebrows furrowed.

Yuzuha's hand paused in Kaoru's hair for a moment before returning in their strokes. "What do you mean, Hikaru?" Her voice was of pure innocence. Kaoru always knew she was a natural liar.

"You put this on Kaoru. I know you did. Kaoru told me everything," Hikaru replied, shifting in his chair, agitated.

Yuzuha clicked her tongue in disapproval. "You shouldn't readily trust what Kaoru tells you."

Hikaru tilted his head; his face suddenly plunged into confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You _do_ know that Kaoru is the one here with the addiction. He will do anything and say everything to deny it. I just accidently overdosed on my medication last night…"

Kaoru watched Hikaru's face go blank. His eyes shot to Kaoru where Kaoru watched invisibly back. Hikaru's brow furrowed and his lips pressed into an unsure line. Ow, that hurt. Kaoru couldn't believe Hikaru didn't trust him. But then Hikaru set his face in determination and looked back at Yuzuha. "No, he wouldn't do that."

"And how can you be so sure? He will deny anything you say but it will always be true," Yuzuha taunted. Kaoru was seething. He never used drugs in his life! And that tells a lot, considering how fucked up his life is.

Hikaru only answered with a glare. His face was red with anger. Kaoru's chest untightened as he recognized the furious fire in Hikaru's eyes.

Then Hikaru's phone rang. He instantly answered it. "Hello? …Yeah. Hold on a second." Hikaru lowered the phone from his ear and his eyes roamed over Kaoru before settling on Yuzuha. "I'll take this outside but I'll be right back." His words sounded almost like a threat. Hikaru rose to his feet and exited the room, throwing a fleeting glance over his shoulder.

There was only a few seconds of silence before Yuzuha removed her hand from Kaoru's hair. And only second later did she give him a good smack to the head. Kaoru shot up instantly with a yelp. He brought his hand to his forehead and glared at his mother. "What the hell, mom."

"Why did you tell Hikaru about this?" She hissed as she pointed a finger violently at the door.

At the rage in her eyes, Kaoru couldn't help but cower just a little. His lip trembled. "I had to mom. He's the only one I have."

"I don't need my son thinking I'm a crazy woman!" She spat. Kaoru winced at the way she referred to Hikaru.

"Mom…"

She suddenly lunged out and grabbed Kaoru by the neck, her hands pressed slightly. "Listen you little shit, it's enough that I'm on suicide watch and probation, but you're going to fix this thing with Hikaru." Kaoru clawed at her hands; his lungs burned for air. "You got that?"

Kaoru's eyes were streaming. He nodded quickly under her hands. And suddenly she dropped him. Kaoru fell off the chair and grabbed ahold of the side of the bed, gasping breathlessly into the sheets. He let his tears spill mercilessly and he knotted his hand into white blanket.

"It's alright, baby," his mother suddenly cooed, pawing her hand through his hair once again. Kaoru froze and peaked his red eyes over the edge of the bed. She was smiling. At him.

"Baby, once you smooth this over with Hikaru, I'll love you again," she murmured softly. Love… again? Those words shook Kaoru to the core, consuming him. He… wanted this. So bad. So bad that it hurt. He stared at her.

She placed a hand on his cheek and her smile was loving. "Kaoru, you know that I would never hurt you, right?" Kaoru's mind raced through the past slaps, hits, kicks. They were occasional but they were strong his mind.

But he nodded, agreeing with her. "I know," he replied softly. She had some reason or another every time she had laid a hand on Kaoru. Maybe he did deserve it.

She wiped away his tears and then paused. "And I didn't overdose on purpose. I would never try to put you through that kind of situation again, right?"

Kaoru nodded again, believing her. And she kissed him, right on the forehead. Her warm lips seared Kaoru's skin and when she pulled away, Kaoru was left staring at her in bewilderment. His mouth was agape. She'd never done _that _before. And she still wore the smile.

Behind Kaoru, the door opened. Kaoru turned his head to find Hikaru standing in the doorway with his cell in his hand. He stared at Kaoru curiously. "Kaoru, what are you doing on the floor?"

Kaoru looked down at himself in a daze. "I don't know," he mumbled.

"He fell off and woke up," Yuzuha inputted.

Hikaru nodded slowly but still frowned. "Uh, Kaoru, my friends found out I was skipping school and they're skipping the rest of the day so we can go hang out with them. You'll come right?"

Kaoru glanced at the clock hanging on the far side of the room. Third period was just finishing. He glanced at his mom.

She shrugged at the two of them. "Why don't you go hang out with your friends, Kaoru. I'm sure you need a little fun after this scare. I'll be okay."

"Okay," Kaoru replied robotically, his voice rough. He stood instantaneously and followed Hikaru out of the room and into the hall. They walked silently; it felt slightly awkward between them. The moment between them from just hours before flashed in Kaoru's mind. He cringed; Crying on his brother's shoulder was just something he never thought he would do.

They reached the parking lot and Hikaru unlocked it. Kaoru stepped to his side of the car and slid in, sitting down with a thud. He stared straight forward.

Hikaru stirred the engine and it hummed. Hikaru cast Kaoru a worried glance before backing out of his parking spot. And it was only until they were onto the main road did Hikaru actually address him. "Kao, are you okay?"

Kaoru tilted his head, taking in his brother. "Did you just call me Kao?"

"I can't call you Kao?" They stared at each other. "Seriously though, are you okay?"

Kaoru bit his lip, paused, and then he burst out, "My mom didn't mean to overdose."

Hikaru glanced at him in surprise before turning his eyes back onto the road. "Kaoru…"

Kaoru looked away. "She took too much of her medication… I lied to you," he added quietly.

The car was dead silent. Kaoru didn't dare to look at Hikaru's face; he didn't want to see the disappointment. Kaoru was never able to handle disappointment well.

_Smooth it over. Make it right. Lie, lie, lie. For mom._

Hikaru sighed. Kaoru folded into himself, just slightly, afraid of what could happen next. "I don't think I believe you, Kaoru."

Kaoru's head shot up in apprehension. Hikaru smiled at him. "What?"

"I don't believe you. You're obviously lying and don't think for a second I'll believe it," he said, watching the road. Kaoru's eyes widened. "It'll be our little secret. We won't tell Yuzuha, okay?"

Warmth spread through his veins. He found himself smiling. "Okay, Hikaru."

"That's the spirit! Get happy! We can't have you grumpy when we go to the amusement park!" Hikaru laughed.

Kaoru's eyebrows shot up. "Amusement park? Seriously? I've never been."

Hikaru gasped dramatically. "You haven't? Then this will be extra fun! We just have to pick everyone up from school so they can skip with us."

"Everyone?"

"Yeah, as in Mori, Honey, Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kyoya," Hikaru replied happily.

Kaoru dropped his head against the dashboard. "You can't be serious."

"Completely serious, little brother, and you'll have fun whether you like it or not," Hikaru joked, turning onto the street of their school.

Kaoru groaned. But he smiled at the floor. He was… happy.


	24. Chapter 24

Hikaru and Kaoru's friends jammed themselves tightly into the back seat, at least the boys did. Kaoru was surprised when his door swung open and Haruhi was climbing inside… sitting on his lap. "What are you doing?" Kaoru asked in surprise, removing his seatbelt and moving to make room for her.

She laughed, closing the door, and wedged herself in. "Oh don't be shy Kaoru," she chuckled.

"Look, he's blushing," Hikaru chuckled.

Kaoru nudged Hikaru, gaining a laugh from the whole group. It only made his face even redder. And then they were on their way. Kaoru watched Hikaru drive carefully, more so than usual, since no one was buckled in the car.

Haruhi leaned heavily on Kaoru's right side. "You're heavy," Kaoru murmured, trying to shift his body away towards the middle of the car.

She glared at him playfully. "That's not what you say to a lady!" Tamaki cried from the back seat.

"I can say whatever I want while she's sitting on me," he mumbled jokingly. Haruhi knocked her shoulder against his, smiling.

The rest of the ride was pleasant. Kaoru found himself enjoying the bickering between Tamaki and Kyoya who seemed to be new-found best friends.

And soon, they were pulling into the driveway into the park. Kaoru leaned forward, peering around Haruhi to get a good glimpse of the high roller coasters, just visible over the layers of trees on the edge of the park. Haruhi looked at him funny. "Have you never been to this park before?" She questioned.

Hikaru was quick to answer for him. "He's never had the chance." He slowed the car into the line to the toll gate.

Honey leaned forward. "Kaoru, you have to ride the Scrambler! It's my favorite ride!"

Kaoru smiled skeptically. "Okay," he replied, not sure what that even was.

"Or that one rollercoaster," Mori spoke up.

"Yeah, I love that one!" Honey exclaimed.

Hikaru shook his head. "We have no idea what you two are talking about." The car rolled forward a few more feet and now they were boxed in by rows of cars. "The first thing we should make Kaoru go on is the tilt-a-whirl. Let's make him throw up!"

The other boys shouted their agreement while Kaoru looked around in bewilderment. Haruhi laughed. "Don't worry, Kaoru, we'll start you out slow."

When they reached the toll gate, Hikaru rolled down his window and paid for their parking pass. And off they went, into the park. They parked quickly in the first spot they found and hopped out.

"My back hurts," Kyoya stated, cracking his back as he followed Tamaki out his door.

"You're becoming an old man," Kaoru laughed, nudging his friend, closing his door.

They walked to the front to buy their tickets and as Kaoru pulled out his wallet to scrape together the fee to get inside, Kyoya handed him a ticket. "I already got everyone one," he said.

"Thanks," Kaoru said in disbelief. He really was surprised.

And soon they were inside. The place was busy but it wasn't packed, so they made their way easily down the paths past the gift shops to the rides. "What should we go on first?" Haruhi asked, turning to look at her friends.

"We should let Kaoru decide," Hikaru said, giving Kaoru a grin.

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't really care."

"Oh, really?" Hikaru said with an eyebrow raised. "So you won't care if we go on that one?" Hikaru pointed up into the sky at the tallest rollercoaster, just above them. It looped across the park and twisted in a steep plunge. Kaoru paled, getting a sense of vertigo.

"Uh, maybe not that one…" Kaoru murmured, still staring at the tall drop. Suddenly one of the coaster cars zoomed by on its yellow track, whipping a spread of air at the people below. Kaoru watched the thing speed off in astonishment. "Yeah, definitely not."

"Too late!" Hikaru cried, grabbing Kaoru by the wrist. "You said you didn't care!"

"But now I do," Kaoru whined as he was dragged behind his group of friends.

Thus that's how Kaoru found himself at the front of the line of the terrifying roller coaster. Kaoru had faced drugs, gangs, fights, and whole ton of other things… but why was he so scared of a stupid ride? Kaoru felt the faint tremor in his limbs as the gates opened, allowing them to step into their seats. Hikaru nudged him forward. "Shit," he said, moving forward.

"I can't wait to see your face!" Hikaru exclaimed, hopping up into the seat and pulling down the safety bar. Kaoru mirrored him and sat completely still; his nerves were on end. Beside him, Hikaru swung his legs happily. "Ready, guys?" Hikaru called out to their friends. Haruhi and Tamaki were sitting in the seats in front of them while the rest of their group sat somewhere behind.

"Always ready!" Tamaki shouted back over the hiss of the coaster engine.

"I'm so getting you back for this!" Kaoru shouted at Hikaru. Hikaru laughed.

The ride operators came by, checking the seat belts, and when they were done, they held a thumbs-up to signal ready. Kaoru's pulse raced as the operator read the cautions and warnings over the microphone; he didn't register any of it.

Then they lurched forward. Kaoru's hands instantly flew to the harness in front of him, holding on for dear life.

"We've barely moved yet," Hikaru taunted.

"Fuck you, Hikaru," he cried as the coaster started to climb the hill. The loud clacking of the coaster filled Kaoru's ears; the wind whipped through his long, orange hair as the rose higher and higher. Kaoru glanced down below the roller coaster, past his dangling feet. "Oh, God," he moaned. The cars looked miniature and the people… they were hard to see. "If I die, I'm going to haunt you, Hikaru!" Kaoru shouted.

"Hold on!" Hikaru shouted as they came over the rise of the hill. Kaoru clenched tighter onto the handles while Hikaru did the opposite, throwing his hands high into the air.

Then they were free-falling. Kaoru screamed as his stomach floated up. He squeezed his eyes shut as they whipped down into the sharp dip and then flew upwards into another arch. "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!" Kaoru hollered when he opened his eyes to see them flying down into a loop. They spun upwards and upside down. Kaoru's insides flopped.

"I hate you Hikaru!" Kaoru cried as the turned sharply and downwards.

Hikaru laughed hysterically through the screams of the riders. Kaoru looked away from his brother to find they were plunging down a sideways curve, coming down dangerously by the park's pathways. Kaoru screamed.

Around the turn, something bright flashed at them. Oh, no, not pictures. The ride spun into a spiral. Kaoru could feel his eyes watering as they twisted.

And abruptly, they slowed, rolling back into the roller coaster station. Kaoru released his hard grip and collapsed against his harness, breathing hard. Beside him, Hikaru was still laughing. "Wasn't that cool, Kaoru? You should have seen your face!"

Kaoru glared. They rolled to a stop and Kaoru unbuckled himself just as the lap bar was released upwards. Jumping down onto shaky feet, Kaoru followed the crowd to the exit. Outside of the ride, their group of friends began raving about the ride. "How did you like it, Kaoru?" Tamaki asked, excitedly.

Kaoru paused for a moment, ready to tell them that it was the worst experience of his life… but it wasn't, now that he thought about it. In fact… "It was great!" he said with enthusiasm.

Hikaru beamed. "Awesome, then we can go again!"

"What? NO!" Kaoru cried, but he was already being dragged off by the wrist.

Much later, they took a break to grab some ice cream. Kaoru licked his vanilla cone happily, enjoying the warming rays of the sun.

"Fix your hair, Kaoru, you look like a wind-blown poodle," Haruhi said, gesturing with her chocolate cone.

"Hey, be nice about it," Kaoru said, moving a hand through his hair to smooth it down.

"I see no need since you called me heavy earlier."

Kaoru rolled his eyes. He then glanced at his brother who was standing apart from the group, talking on his phone.

"I think it's his mom," Honey said.

"Our parents are going to be so pissed when we get home," Tamaki exclaimed nervously.

Kaoru continued to lick his ice cream in silence.

"Oh, I got everyone something by the way," Haruhi announced. She passed her cone off to Tamaki temporarily before grabbing something out of the small draw-string backpack she'd bought. "Here." She passed out thin envelopes to everyone and put one aside for Hikaru.

Kaoru opened the enveloped and dug a hand inside. He pulled out a picture and groaned. The rest of the group laughed. It was the picture from their first roller coaster of the day. Kaoru's face was screwed up embarrassingly as he screamed. His hair whipped out behind him. Kaoru tilted his head back in mortification.

"We all look so funny!" Honey exclaimed. And this time Kaoru joined in on the laugh.

Hikaru appeared at Kaoru's side, looking over his shoulder at Kaoru's photo. "Oh man that is priceless! I get one of these, right?" Haruhi handed him his photo. "Alright!"

They finished their ice cream quickly. "Okay, we definitely need to go home now," Hikaru said, standing up. "My mom was having a hissy fit on the phone. I have a feeling that I won't be getting away with much for a while."

"Alright, let's go," Tamaki said, leading the way up the path.

Hikaru walked steadily in the back by Kaoru. He looked at Kaoru. "So how was it?"

"You mean the park? Lots of fun. Thanks Hikaru… It helped a lot…" he trailed off, starting to feel uncomfortable with voicing his feelings.

Hikaru grinned. "Good. That was the goal of this whole thing."

Kaoru ran a hand absently around the base of his neck, thinking.

"Hey, where did you get that bruise on your neck?" Hikaru questioned, stepping closer to Kaoru to peer at it.

"Huh?" Kaoru looked down at himself, but could not see the bruise, of course. Instead, he ran his fingers across the tender spot on the edge of his t-shirt. "I don't know," he lied.

Hikaru bit his lip but said nothing. He changed the subject. "Did you want to drop you off at your house or at the hospital?"

"The Hospital," Kaoru replied. "But drop me off last. I don't want the others to know."

Hikaru nodded, "Okay."

"Hikaru?" Kaoru asked, looking seriously at his brother.

"Yeah?" Hikaru asked. His amber eyes reflected Kaoru's.

"Thanks again…"

Hikaru cracked a strong grin. "Always welcome, Kaoru."


	25. Chapter 25

Hikaru arrived home just after dropping off his friends. His stomach fluttered in nervousness. Mom had not sounded happy on the phone… He checked his phone; it was 6 PM. It had taken Hikaru longer than he had expected to drop everyone off.

He opened the door slowly, trying not to make too much noise as he entered the foyer and slipping off his shoes. That's when Zen came down the stairs. "Hikaru, welcome back. Mom is so pissed, you know."

Hikaru looked down at his socked feet. "How mad?"

"The you-are-grounded-to-the-end-of-time mad," Zen replied with a sympathetic smile.

Hikaru groaned, throwing his backpack onto the living room floor.

"Hikaru?" his mother called from up the stairs.

He turned around to face his mother at the top of the stairs. "Hi, mom."

She glared down at him; her eyes darkened. A disturbed shiver ran down Hikaru's spine because he knew that that look in her eyes was not a good sign. She took a step down, beginning her slow decent down towards him.

"Good luck, Hikaru," Zen said quickly, clapping his younger brother on the shoulder before escaping into the living room.

Hikaru gulped as his mother came to rest at the bottom of the steps. Disappointment shone in her eyes. "What is going on with you lately, Hikaru?"

He bit his lip. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, first you come home in a police car and then you skip school? I want to know what is going on!" she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

Hikaru sighed. "I'm helping out a friend. He's in trouble."

"May I ask what kind of trouble?" she asked, obviously not believing him.

"No, I can't tell you. It wouldn't be fair to him."

She pressed her lips into a thin line and closed her eyes temporarily, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "I seriously do not know what to do with you Hikaru. Is this going to continue?" She opened her eyes to stare him down.

Hikaru remained silent for a moment, contemplating. He really didn't know how to answer that question. On one hand, he wanted to reassure his mother that he wasn't doing anything dangerous; but on the other hand, if Kaoru was in trouble, he wouldn't hesitate to help in any way he could. "I can't promise that," he answered finally. She frowned. "He's my friend, and I'm going to help him if he needs me."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Hikaru, go to your room," she said lowly. "You're grounded for the rest of the week. Don't even dare to make plans with any friends."

Hikaru nodded, avoiding her eyes. He had expected this outcome and he would take the punishment soundly. Slowly, he brushed past his mother and mounted the stairs. "Sorry, mom," he said softly, and he climbed up to his room.

Upon reaching his room, Hikaru immediately flopped onto his bed in despair. He laid on his stomach, staring at his walls. Without another thought, Hikaru grabbed his sketchbook off his desk and opened to his last drawing. His pencil rolled out from the open page. He breathed deeply before picking it up.

He began to shade his drawing, making depth in the lines. He tilted his head, pausing, before his eyes darted to his original picture. He had a photograph of himself and his friends before he had met Kaoru… and he was trying to recreate it. Looking back at his handiwork, Hikaru smiled; it was slowly getting there. He pushed his hand back onto the pad and began fixing Haruhi's hair by adding more layers and making it darker.

But then he sighed, his hand going limp around the pencil. He just wasn't in the mood for drawing. So he pushed the sketch pad up to the top of his bed and reached over the side of his bed to pick his laptop up off the floor. He unplugged the device from its charger and opened it up, settling in as he typed in his password.

After pulling up the internet, Hikaru stared at the search engine on his screen. It took him a minute, but then he finally knew what to look up. He typed in _paper crane origami._ He clicked on the first link.

The directions didn't seem so bad. He supposed he could do this with a little effort. Grabbing a piece of printer paper from his desk, Hikaru began folding the sheet into the correct beginning shape. After about ten minutes, Hikaru compared what he had to the corresponding picture on step 9. He sighed; it looked like crap.

Clack! Hikaru sat up quickly, startled by the loud crack against his window. Clack! He turned his sharply, once again missing what hit it. But Hikaru only had to wait a few more seconds until he saw another hit to the window. Clack!

Hikaru discarded his crane and walked to the window to peer out. "Kaoru?" he gasped, wrenching up the window. Kaoru was sitting in his tree! "What are you doing Kaoru? How did you get up here?" Hikaru glanced down at the branches above the ground.

"Climbed," Kaoru said simply with a smile. He sat on the nearest, sturdiest branch, balancing easily. In his right hand he held a cluster of small rocks. "Now move, you're letting me in."

Hikaru backed up, moving the window open wider. Kaoru quickly dropped his rocks into the grass below before maneuvering himself easily into Hikaru's room. He stood up quickly, straightening his shirt.

"Kaoru, what are you doing here? Didn't I drop you off at the hospital only a half hour ago?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Yeah, well, when I got there, my mom was asleep. I got bored and walked here."

"You walked?" Hikaru asked incredulously.

"Yeah, people do that sometimes," Kaoru said as he went to sit on Hikaru's bed. Hikaru gaped at him. "Hikaru, the hospital isn't that far away."

Hikaru shifted on his feet, still concerned, but instead he went to sit on his bed with his brother. He looked carefully at Kaoru, checking him over. Nothing new; his bruise on his neck has gotten a little bit darker though. "Ya know," Hikaru said, gaining Kaoru's attention, "throwing rocks at my window was pretty girly."

"Shut up," Kaoru laughed. Kaoru's gaze fell across Hikaru's bed. "Did you draw that?" Kaoru asked suddenly, picking up the sketch pad. "It's so good."

"Yeah, I know," Hikaru replied smugly.

Kaoru threw the sketchpad at him but Hikaru caught it. "Be a little more humble, will ya?"

"What would be the fun in that?"

Kaoru laughed but then trailed off, noticing the crane on the bed. He picked it up, studying it closely. "You were…"

"I wanted to try it," Hikaru interrupted. He moved his computer between them to show Kaoru the steps.

"Well, here's where you messed up," Kaoru said, unfolding the messy crane. "You folded the wings wrong."

"Maybe I should stick to paper hearts," he said wearily, watching Kaoru begin to refold it.

Kaoru shook his head. "Grab a new sheet, I'll show you how."

Hikaru did as he was told, placing the blank page in front of him. But just as they were about to begin, the door swung open. "Hey Hikaru, I was wondering if I could borrow…" Zen trailed off, standing frozen in the doorway. "Oh, hey Kaoru."

Kaoru nodded nervously. "Hey," he said much quieter.

"What's going on?" Zen asked, catching Hikaru's eye.

"Kaoru is staying over for the night," Hikaru said.

They spoke at the same time. "He is?" "I am?"

Hikaru nodded, smiling at the two of them. "No one's going to be at your house tonight Kaoru. And do you really want to go sleep at the hospital? Besides, I can take you to school tomorrow."

Kaoru looked conflicted for a while. But he nodded. "That's okay, I guess."

"Wait," Zen interjected, spreading a hand out in front of him. "Did mom approve of this? Because I'm pretty sure she grounded you."

"She doesn't need to know."

Zen grinned, nodding. "The less she knows the better."

And suddenly Zen was joining them in Hikaru's room, following Kaoru's directions in making the cranes. Every time, Kaoru made flawless paper cranes while the Nagamu brothers' cranes were hideously deformed. Kaoru laughed and made them do it all over again.

At some point, Hikaru turned on the radio, letting it float through the room. And sometime later, Zen disappeared only to come back with snacks and his guitar. Hikaru and Kaoru made cranes while Zen strummed along with the radio; they talked softly, laughing often.

Hikaru finished his twentieth crane while Kaoru made so much more. "Now you can add all of these cranes to your collection," Hikaru told Kaoru.

Kaoru tilted his head. "Yeah, I guess I can."

"How many do you even have?"

Kaoru shrugged. "I think I'm in the five hundreds or six hundreds."

Zen whistled, pausing in his notes. "Why so many?"

Kaoru looked down, shifting a crane between his fingers. "I think it was back in seventh grade or something like that when I heard about the thousand cranes. You know; if you make a thousand cranes you get to make a wish? Well, I wanted to try it."

Zen nodded, picking up his tune again. "What are you going to wish for?"

"Nope, not telling."

"Oh, come on!" Hikaru cried.

Suddenly the door opened. "Hikaru! What are you doing here? I said you were grounded…" his mother trailed off, holding the door knob, when she saw Kaoru sitting on Hikaru's bed. "Oh, um…"

"Hi Mrs. Nagamu," Kaoru greeted quietly. He smiled weakly. "Sorry that Hikaru had to skip school today. I guess he was trying to just cheer me up."

Hikaru's mom looked stricken. Her eyes darted to Hikaru in surprise and bewilderment. "Hikaru, you skipped today because-"

"My mom accidently overdosed today," Kaoru interrupted. "I was a mess… But he took me to the amusement park. I've never been!" Kaoru smiled innocently.

Hikaru could see his mom almost melting for Kaoru. This was his chance to pounce. "Mom, can Kaoru stay over? His mom is still in the hospital."

She nodded vigorously. "Of course, dear." She backed out the door. "Just let me know if you need anything." And then she disappeared down the hall.

Zen closed the door while Hikaru and Kaoru high-fived each other. "Alright!" Hikaru cried. "That was the best acting ever! My mom totally fell for your puppy dog eyes."

Kaoru laughed. "I'm a natural talent." His laugh rang loudly in Hikaru's ears. It all seemed too good to be true.

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><p><strong>Long chapter! Hurray! (Well, long by standards.) Anyhow, can you feel it? That bad feeling in the air?<strong>


	26. Chapter 26

**This story's reviews has surpassed the amount of reviews on my other story "Finding Kaoru!" YAY! I wonder if it will surpass "Lost without You?"**

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><p>"Kaoru, wait up!" Hikaru called, following Kaoru onto the school grounds after closing his car door with a slam. It was early in the morning; too early for Hikaru's liking, but Kaoru had insisted. "Why do we have to be here so early again?" he asked, catching up to Kaoru on the sidewalk.<p>

They began going up the stairs. Kaoru scowled. "I told you like three times already!"

"Well tell me again!"

"I have to pick up my homework before school. I don't want my teachers thinking I'm slacking," Kaoru mumbled, pushing through the school's front doors. They were a half hour early and the school seemed almost utterly empty. Only a few kids roamed the school halls. The quietness of it all gave Hikaru a sense of paranoia. He couldn't wait till ten minutes from now, when the kids starting pouring inside.

He followed Kaoru to his locker, which was on the opposite side of the sophomore hall from Hikaru. Kaoru unlocked it speedily and started wrenching books from his bag and replacing them with others. "I never thought of you as the studious type," Hikaru said, leaning against the red lockers.

Kaoru zipped up his bag quickly and then grabbed his calculator. "I'm not." He slammed the locker shut. "I'm an average student but I don't like being behind." Kaoru rushed past him, leading the way to his Geometry class.

"Weirdo," Hikaru joked.

Reaching Kaoru's classroom, Hikaru waited outside as Kaoru went inside to retrieve his homework. The woman smiled at Kaoru, clearly happy that Kaoru had taken initiative. Kaoru then dropped his bag off in one of the middle row desks and waved to the teacher. "See you first period," Kaoru called.

Hikaru intercepted Kaoru as he came out, walking side by side to Kaoru's next classroom. "You seemed very buddy-buddy with that teacher. Are you having teacher-student relations?"

"Never hurts to suck up, Hikaru," Kaoru replied, turning around the hall corner heading towards the science labs.

"Teacher's pet," Hikaru commented just as Kaoru walked into the Biology lab. Again, Hikaru went to lean against the lockers opposite from the open doorway. But just as he leaned back, a hand shot forward and caught Hikaru by the collar.

There was a tall boy, probably a senior, standing before Hikaru, looking royally pissed. The guy swung Hikaru around and slammed him against the opposite lockers, further away from the lab door. "Where were you last night? I thought we had a deal," the boy growled. His breath was fowl in Hikaru's face.

"Huh?" Hikaru was completely confused.

"Don't play games with me, Kaoru; I waited there like an idiot!" The boy shook Hikaru's collar.

Hikaru's eyes widened when it dawned on him. "I'm not Kaoru, I'm-"

"Shut up!" the boy hissed. He threw Hikaru against the lockers again, smacking his head painfully.

"Ah," Hikaru gasped, bringing his hands to his head.

The boy leaned in real close, licking his lips. "Now give me what I need, or I will take it up with your higher ups."

"But I don't… I'm not…"

The boy took one hand off Hikaru's collar and swung it back. Hikaru gasped just as the fist came down, throttling Hikaru right in the eye. His head knocked backwards again into the locker door. Hikaru grunted and gasped for air.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru cried, appearing over the guy's shoulder. He dropped his papers and squared his shoulders.

Suddenly the senior was being pulled off of Hikaru. "That's my twin, you idiot!" Kaoru yelled, pushing the boy harshly. Hikaru sagged down onto the floor, clutching his eye.

"Well how was I supposed to know? You two look exactly the same!" The boy growled.

Something flashed in Kaoru's eyes but he shook it aside. Kaoru took a deep breath and pulled the boy further down the hall, talking to him in hushed tones. Hikaru watched as the guy pulled out a wad of cash which Kaoru immediately pocketed. Out of Kaoru's other pocket, he pulled out a duct-taped package, setting it in the guy's outstretched hand. The boy looked around before slipping it into his sweatshirt and hurrying away.

Hikaru's face pulsed at where he got punched. His hands grasped at his warmed skin as he fought the tears in his eyes. "Hikaru," Kaoru said as he crouched down beside him. "Oh man, I'm so sorry. This should have been me." Kaoru wedged himself under Hikaru's right arm and lifted, bringing Hikaru to his feet.

"I'm fine, Kaoru," Hikaru tried to convince his brother.

"No, you're not. We're going to the nurse." Hikaru was forced to follow his brother down the hall, passing the occasional student. Suddenly, Hikaru was grateful that they came early. This way less people would see him. He didn't even know why Kaoru was trying to support his weight; he could walk just fine. "What about your homework?" Hikaru asked as they paced away from the fallen papers.

"Screw homework…" Kaoru tilted his head at Hikaru; his face was completely written with worry. "How's your head?"

"Got a bit of a headache." Hikaru still clutched his eye. "But I can walk by myself."

Kaoru laughed nervously and let go. He now walked with an arm's length between them. "This is the last straw," Kaoru said abruptly, grimacing. "If even my twin is getting hurt from me selling drugs, then I don't want to be a part of it anymore." His amber eyes flamed passionately and he tightened his hands into fists. "I've had enough. I'm going to go tonight and tell them I'm done."

Hikaru paled. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I got Kyoya on my side. And they can't make me do anything…"

They reached nurse's office and they stopped right on the edge of it. Hikaru frowned. "But couldn't Kyoya get in a lot of trouble for helping you?"

Kaoru froze beside him, staring straight forward in a lost expression. "I didn't think about that," he whispered mostly to himself. And then he just took Hikaru's arm and pulled him into the nurse's office, not really looking at Hikaru.

"What are you going to do Kaoru?" he questioned. The beginnings of fear clawed through Hikaru's stomach.

Kaoru smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"But…" Hikaru began.

"Nurse! My brother got punched in the eye!" Kaoru called into the room.

The nurse appeared around a curtain and went for Hikaru. Kaoru stepped back, letting the woman do her work. She pulled Hikaru's hand from his face and gasped in unison with Kaoru. "Oh that's a bad bruise," she said. The woman immediately went to grab an icepack, demanding Hikaru to hold it there to his eye as long as possible.

Kaoru, meanwhile, tried to back out the door without him noticing. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to collect the rest of my homework. See you in home economics!" And Kaoru was gone.

But Hikaru did not, in fact, see Kaoru at their shared first period. Nor was he at lunch. Hikaru started to really worry when even Kyoya didn't know where Kaoru was. It all felt like a nightmare to Hikaru; his brother was skipping school to give up drug dealing… and Hikaru couldn't do a thing to help. He was stuck at the school until three. Besides, Hikaru had no idea where Kaoru had gone.

Under his desk in history, Hikaru texted a message to Kaoru: _Where are you?_ There was no reply.


	27. Chapter 27

Kaoru walked home; it really took a long time, considering that he didn't have his bike and his house was miles away. But he had to get away. He had to think.

He reached his house just after school's lunch time. His feet throbbed, his legs ached, and he was so damn hungry. But he pushed himself up the front flights of stairs to his apartment with exhaustion in his bones. When he glanced at the apartment directly at the top of the stairs, Kaoru jolted. Mr. Park was watching him again, determined to catch Kaoru doing something wrong. Kaoru just smiled weakly, giving him a short wave.

When he arrived at his door and unlocked it, Kaoru's chest tightened. He hadn't been back to his apartment since his mother's OD. Sighing, he forced himself inside, brushing his fingers warily against the door frame before closing it.

The house looked utterly normal. It scared Kaoru. Things could easily go back the way they were before. But no, he wouldn't let that happen.

Kaoru walked purposefully into his room, dropped his backpack by the door, and then fell to his knees in the corner of the carpet. "Come on," he urged as he wedged his fingers under the carpet to catch the floor board. Heaving, he pulled the wood aside, revealing the large stash of assorted drugs.

Immediately he dug his hand in, pulling everything out. This ended today.

He sat there, with the drugs cluttered at his knees, staring blankly. His mother was coming home tomorrow. What would she do without the drugs? Surely she would be angry. But regardless, Kaoru shoved everything into his backpack.

Afterwards, he went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinets. "Sorry mom," he whispered. He took each and every old medicine bottle and dumped it into his bag.

And when it was all done, Kaoru did the one thing he never wanted to do: he called Akito. It rang only once before Akito answered in his lazy tone, "Talk."

Kaoru cleared his throat nervously before setting his voice in determination. "Akito, we need to talk, tonight."

Akito chuckled. "Oh hey, rookie. I feel honored; you never call me!"

Kaoru winced at his cruel laugh. "Look, I really need to talk to you tonight. Will six at the warehouse work?"

"Kaoru, you know it's not your place to be scheduling our meetings…" Kaoru gulped; his hand was shaking on his cell phone. "Alright rookie, I suppose we'll humor you. See you at six." The call ended.

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><p>Kaoru couldn't breathe; it was nearing the dreaded hour and he was shaking, horribly fearful. What would they do? He knew they wouldn't just let him go…<p>

He pulled his hood further down over his head and jammed his hands back into his sweatshirt pockets, keeping his eyes on the cement below him. His backpack was heavy on his back; it was full. He had sold hardly any of the drugs.

Reaching the warehouse, he went quickly inside and climbed the stairs. It felt so wrong without Kyoya. He would always walk with him. Now he wondered if Kyoya would be even there to see his last hurrah.

At the doors, Kaoru could see the glow through the cracks and the flickering of movement. He breathed a deep, shaky breath, steeling himself for the inevitable. What happened here and now could be the either the end or the beginning for Kaoru.

He walked slowly forward, raising his hand to push open the door, but he hesitated. Was he doing the right thing here?

Suddenly the doors swung open upon their own accord, shocking Kaoru. He stood frozen with his hand in the air as the boys around him laughed. "Come on in, Kaoru. Don't be shy!" Akito called from the center of the group.

Kaoru slowly lowered his hand. This group of boys was unnerving. They were all of the kids that were beyond the years of high school, or dropouts, and they were all bigger than he was. They towered above him.

Someone pushed him inside and he stumbled forward, barely catching himself from falling. "So," Akito began, pacing around Kaoru, "what is it that you called us here for?"

Kaoru swallowed thickly. "I…" His voice came out in a squeak. _Come on Kaoru, this isn't the time to wimp out. Just… Just talk as if you were talking to Hikaru. Do it. Go! _ "I want out!" Kaoru blurted out forcefully, taking all by surprise, even his self.

The room quieted. All eyes were on Kaoru. "I mean, it's been putting my mom in danger and I think it's time to call it quits…" Kaoru tried to reason to the shell-shocked group.

Muttering broke out in the crowd. Kaoru could hear snatches of his name and he paled at the sight of all twenty of these vague acquaintances staring at him in unanimous judgment.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru, but I thought we were helping your mother." The group hushed, allowing Akito to speak. "Didn't you join because you didn't want your mother caught buying?"

Kaoru's lip trembled. "Yes, but that doesn't have to be a problem anymore. I think I can handle her. Besides, she almost overdosed twice! I have no other options. This has to be done."

Akito's eyes tightened menacingly. "We don't usually let anyone go from this ring, you do know that right?"

Kaoru nodded, avoiding his leader's eyes. He's never seen anyone leave this drug ring. And those who had tried hadn't fared well. They usually ended up with a few cracked ribs to go along with their permanent membership.

Looking up quickly with a genuine glare, Kaoru set his jaw angrily. "Well if you won't let me go, I may have to take matters to someone higher."

The group growled at Kaoru's implications; he was threatening to rat the group out. "What a daring move," Akito said, tilting his head in interest. The larger boy approached Kaoru so that he could glower down at him. "I suppose I will let you have this one Kaoru," Akito murmured darkly. His lips peeled into a cruel grin as he leaned down to whisper in Kaoru's ear. "Just remember this…. You aren't free anymore. You were my property the day you joined, and there is no way I am letting you go." He pulled away to look Kaoru straight in the eyes. "That is, unless you pay a debt."

"You can shove your debt up your ass," Kaoru growled into Akito's face.

Akito shook his head. "You can expect me to come to collect… real soon. Then you can have your freedom. But I wonder, will it all be worth it?" He smiled widely before shooing Kaoru away with a flick of his hand.

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><p><strong>Sorry! I would have updated sooner but I currently have no internet at my new apartment until Thursday. I will try to get the new chapter up as soon as I can. Meanwhile, sorry about this chapter. Unpacking has distracted me, so this chapter isn't the greatest. Thanks for understanding.<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**Here's a little chapter to clear a few things up.**

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><p>Kaoru remembered it well… the days before his dad walked out on him and his mom two years ago. They should have sensed it coming, should have predicted it. But it had still come as a shock.<p>

Fourteen-year-old Kaoru sat quietly on his mother's couch, folding a paper crane in his lap. By his feet was his black duffel, filled with his clothes for the weekend at his father's. He carefully crinkled a thin crease into the green sheet, trying not to make any noise to disrupt his mother lying on the couch. She had her hands pressed to her forehead.

"Stop folding that damn paper!" She growled suddenly, giving him a glare. Her eyes were bloodshot from the mixture of drugs and alcohol.

Kaoru froze in the middle of a fold, not daring to move. He slowly set the half made crane down into a side pocket of his duffel and stared at his mother as she settled back into the cushions. She had lost her job a couple days ago, causing her drug usage to increase drastically.

Suddenly the door beside Kaoru swung open, revealing a tall, brooding man. "Dad," Kaoru said, shifting in his seat.

His father shuffled into the room, staring at mom. It was a dangerous look; the look Kaoru had seen time and time again. "What's wrong with your mother?"

Kaoru sat up straight when his father's gaze snapped to him. "The usual," Kaoru uttered. Terror pulsed through him, vibrating in excruciating blinding white light on the edge of his vision.

"Usual? Kaoru this damn situation shouldn't be usual!" He approached Kaoru in a rage.

Sinking into the couch, Kaoru looked up his father. "I don't know what to do," Kaoru said quickly, trying to redeem his self.

"Anything, Kaoru, anything!" His voice was rising. "You're the root all of this. If we didn't have to take care of you, neither of us would be in this situation."

Kaoru didn't know how to respond. Why was he the root of all of their problems? Why was he blamed for everything that happened? Maybe it was better if he really was gone… His vision blurred.

His dad was still approaching him until behind him Yuzuha shifted. "Get away from him," she muttered through her stupor.

Kaoru's lip trembled as his eyes flew from his father standing over him to his mother and her determined look. Minutely, Dad turned just enough to catch Mom in a glower. He turned in an instant, striking her across the cheek. She cried out, clutching at her face.

Infuriated, Kaoru jumped to his feet. "No!" he cried, throwing himself in front of his father's second slap.

The impact stung with a loud crack. Tears cast themselves from Kaoru's eyes. "Kaoru," Mom whispered. Her eyes were wide.

"Kaoru, dammit!" Dad yelled. He yanked Kaoru away from his mother harshly by the wrist. He pulled his son behind him and quickly snatched up the duffel from the ground before pushing Kaoru through the front door. Kaoru allowed himself to be pulled around, utterly terrified.

"D-dad?"

"Shut up," he growled, leading them down the apartment stairs toward his old beaten up truck. Opening the passenger door, he threw Kaoru's bag onto the truck floor and then pushed Kaoru up into the seat.

In a hurry, Kaoru buckled himself in and pulled his duffel into his lap. On the other side, his father slid into the driver's seat but did not start the engine. Instead, they just sat in silent, staring straight ahead.

"Kaoru…"

Kaoru waited. No point in speaking.

"Kaoru, are you listening?"

He turned his head to look at his Dad, nodding obediently.

"Listen, you are going to have to take care of your mother from now on…"

"What? Why?" Kaoru blurted out in a panic.

He looked away and started the engine. "No reason." Then he hit Kaoru over the back of his head, knocking him out.

Later, when Kaoru awoke, he found himself lying on the cold concrete of an unrecognizable street. There was cloud cover in the sky. Kaoru's head throbbed. He turned his head to find his duffel bag lying at his knees.

He sat up quickly, looking around. His dad had left him. Suddenly he couldn't breathe right.

"Look, the kid's awake."

Kaoru jumped at the voice. Behind him loomed two figures. They were teenagers and one looked about his age. The oldest one knelt down by Kaoru, looking him right in the eyes. "Kaoru, right?" he said.

Kaoru stared at him in disbelief. How did he know his name?

"I'm Akito. Your mom has buying from my people… but hasn't been paying her bills."

"What?" Kaoru gasped. He didn't know about this.

"So we are going to take you under our wing, protect your family. Just help us out and nothing bad will happen, okay?" The boy called Akito smiled.

Kaoru looked vaguely at the boy behind him in the glasses. He was frowning. But Kaoru turned back to Akito. "My mom won't get in trouble?"

"Not as long as you follow our exact directions."

Kaoru nodded swiftly. "Okay, I'll do it."

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><p>Kaoru jolted awake, dripping in sweat. He held a hand to his rapid heartbeat. He scrunched his eyes shut as the paranoia continued to eat at him from the old memories. Mom was coming home in a few hours. Everything would be fine.<p>

He froze for a second. What about Hikaru?

Kaoru shot out of bed and grabbed his cell phone. He dialed rapidly, sitting on the edge of his bed, and waited. The rings seemed slow. Kaoru chewed his lip.

"Hello?" a tired voice resonated through the phone.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru cried, clutching his phone tighter.

"Kaoru? Oh God, Kaoru. Are you okay? What happened? Where did you go today?" Hikaru demanded.

Kaoru laughed without humor. "All the questions that I should be asking you…" Kaoru's eyes were streaming with silent tears.

"Kaoru… I'll be right there okay? Hold on. I'm on my way."


	29. Chapter 29

Hikaru stayed over at Kaoru's that night. It was a little sad to see his brother this broken and vulnerable, shaking in his sleep. Hikaru was sprawled next to him on the bed, lying completely awake, staring at the rising sun through window blinds. It was almost seven in the morning and the alarm clock would go off at any time.

Glancing at his brother, his frown twitched. Something had shaken him up, that much he could tell. Kaoru groaned in his sleep.

Hikaru sat up slowly, clicking off Kaoru's alarm clock before it had a chance to beep, and swung his legs off the bed. Then he did what his own brother, Zen, had done for him whenever he was down: he made pancakes. Well, it took a long time to find the ingredients in Kaoru's kitchen, and all of his pancakes turned out lopsided, but it was the thought that counted.

Hikaru loaded up a plate and dumped a healthy dose of syrup and butter on top, smiling to himself. "Kaoru!" Hikaru barked, grabbing the plate and a glass of milk before kicking in Kaoru's door.

Kaoru jumped, shaking the whole bed. "What the hell, Hikaru!" Kaoru shouted from the edge of sleep. He sat up abruptly and rubbed at his eyes.

"Pancakes. Eat," Hikaru commanded, shoving the sticky mess at the younger boy.

Kaoru lightened, snatching up the plate. Kaoru scooped up the fork enthusiastically and shoved a piece into his mouth. Hikaru set the milk down on the bedside table and chuckled. "Hungry?"

"Shut up, I haven't had pancakes in forever," Kaoru mumbled through a full mouth.

Hikaru grinned and mussed Kaoru long hair. "Hey!" Kaoru cried and swatted Hikaru's hand away, catching his own hair in his sticky fingers.

"Hurry up and eat," Hikaru said, heading to the door. "We're going to be late for school."

Kaoru shook his head as he gulped down milk. "Nope, not going to school today. I'm going to be at the hospital when she's released today."

Hikaru's hand hesitated on the doorknob. "Need me to come with?"

Kaoru cut another piece of pancake and shook his head a second time. "I don't need help walking the old woman home. It'll be easy."

Hikaru opened the door. "Well, I'm going to jump in the shower. Let me know if you change your mind."

Kaoru continued eating, not looking up.

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><p>Kaoru waved Hikaru off as he got into his car and drove away. Once Hikaru disappeared down the street, Kaoru let his arm go limp and he leaned heavily on the apartment balcony rails. He sighed, shaking away the tremors still barely visible in his hands. Hikaru had made him feel better… but he had not cured him of his nightmares.<p>

Kaoru pushed off the rail and went inside, grabbing his shoes and shoving his feet in. He pulled a blue sweatshirt off the couch and grabbed the keys from the kitchen counter. He wasn't going to bother showering today; no one would see him anyways. He brushed a hand busily through his hair before stepping back out into the cool morning air.

After locking his door, Kaoru walked purposefully for the hospital. In his pocket was a small wad of bills; he would hail a cab to take his mother home. He didn't want her to freak out on the way home.

The walk wasn't long, not compared to the walk to school anyway. But when he arrived, he sighed in relief. Somehow, walking on the streets all alone was starting to scare him…

As Kaoru approached the building, Kaoru's phone rang loudly, giving him a start. Kaoru pulled it out and stared at it in horror. Akito. His hand trembled. "Hello?" Kaoru answered immediately, not taking any chances.

"Hello Kaoru, how are you this morning?"

"What do you want Akito?" Kaoru's voice was full of defeat.

"I just wanted to know where you are. You're picking up your mom at the hospital, aren't you?"

Kaoru stopped dead in his tracks and looked around him. "Where are you?"

"Oh no, Kaoru, I'm not following you," Akito laughed.

Kaoru turned back to look at the hospital. "Then, what? What do you want?"

"I want my debt paid."

Kaoru silenced, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

Akito continued, "What do you think, Kaoru? Are you coming back?"

Kaoru scrunched his face up; he was in inner turmoil. "Hey kid, are you okay?" an old man asked from his seat on an outside hospital bench.

Kaoru nodded weakly before turning away towards the rising sun. "No, Akito, I don't think so," Kaoru whispered, resigning himself to despair.

Akito huffed in disapproval. "Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru. I'm afraid I'm going to take something from you… and you won't ever get it back. Are you willing to deal with that for your freedom?"

"Take whatever you want, you bastard, just leave me alone!" Kaoru cried into the phone. His face flamed in rage and his heart pounded forcefully.

Akito laughed, "I thought so." The line went dead.

Kaoru slowly lowered his phone. He didn't care anymore! He just wanted to live a normal life; he wouldn't—couldn't—go back to the drug ring. He tucked his phone away.

He entered the hospital in a haze and approached the front desk. Looking around, he didn't see his mother anywhere in the waiting room. He wondered if she was done checking out yet.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The front desk girl asked with a smile. She spun her pen around her fingers.

"I'm looking for Yuzuha Hitachiin. Did she check out yet?"

"Hold on a sec, let me check," she replied, grabbing her computer mouse. She typed a series of numbers into the pad before typing Kaoru's mother's name. Kaoru tapped his foot impatiently. She looked up with a sincere smile. "It appears that she has already checked out."

Kaoru bit his lip and looked around a second time. "Then where did she go?" he questioned more to himself than her.

"What does she look like?"

Kaoru's gaze snapped back at her. "What?"

"What does she look like?" the girl repeated.

"Oh," Kaoru said. "Well, she has red hair like mine-"

"I remember her!" the receptionist interrupted. "You don't see a lot of red-heads around here," she clarified.

Kaoru nodded. "Where did she go?"

"She left maybe ten minutes ago with tall boy with black hair. He was the sweetest thing; he brought her flowers and everything."

Kaoru's vision tunneled. "Akito." He turned and ran from the waiting room.

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><p><strong>Only 4 reviews on the last chapter? I'm a failure. -_- <strong>


	30. Chapter 30

**WOW! I got 18 reviews on that last chapter! Thank you guys, I love all of you! Hopefully this chapter will be up to your standards! :D**

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><p>He was heaving, almost hyperventilating, under the pressure he was forcing upon himself as he ran, ran, ran. Never in Kaoru's life had he ran so fast. But what good was that when his house was still a so far away?<p>

Kaoru faltered to a stop. His side was tight and pinched; it was burning. He filled his lungs painfully bent over half-away. Kaoru pressed his hands into his knees and scrunched up his face bitterly. "Fuck," he gasped. Curling his fists, he straightened up and began to run again.

As he ran, Kaoru jerked his phone to his ear, dialing in a blur. "Dammit, Akito," Kaoru growled with all the hatred in the world. The phone rang and rang so tonelessly, so horrifyingly and dauntingly empty. He knew Akito wouldn't answer, but God, he had to hope.

At the answering machine, Kaoru snapped his phone shut with a feral groan. But then, in a stroke of luck, a taxi rolled down the street in Kaoru's direction. Stopping in his tracks, Kaoru raced to the edge of the sidewalk, flinging his arm out to hail the cab.

The car jerked to a stop and Kaoru clambered inside, slamming the door. "East View Apartments on Warren Street," Kaoru informed the driver, buckling into his seat.

"Got it," the man replied.

It wasn't long before they made the twenty blocks to Kaoru's apartment and came to a stop outside the complex. Kaoru nervously glanced out of his window; nothing seemed to be out of place. Turning back, Kaoru quickly paid the driver and flew out of the car.

Up and at the top of the stairs, Kaoru once again ignored Mr. Park's dark glare and scampered down to his end apartment. With keys in hand, Kaoru reached for the doorknob… but stopped.

He glanced down and froze. A dark wisp of smoke leaked from under the crack under the door. "What the hell?" His breath caught and he shoved his key hurriedly into the lock. "Ow!" Kaoru hissed sharply, jumping away from the knob. The metal knob was heated. Kaoru held his hand, looking at the abandoned key in the knob in complete horror.

"Shit." He wrapped his hand further into his sweatshirt and put his hand back on the knob, turning it and retrieving the key. He opened the door and cried out, completely horrified. "No!" he yelled. The apartment… it was on fire!

Flames lapped horrifically at Kaoru's childhood home and the fire alarm was beeping in a deafening blare. The light of the fire reflected in Kaoru's eyes. It was hot, so very hot, and it crackled so loud. Kaoru turned and looked about the empty hall of the apartments. "Help!" Kaoru screamed. "Someone call 911! Help!" No reply. There was no one in sight.

"Dammit!" Kaoru cried, grabbing his hair harshly in his hands. But then he paled. "Mom!" Without a second thought, Kaoru burst into the burning apartment. The heat hit him and he gasped at the sudden change, overwhelming him. His face immediately felt dry and his eyes stuck uncomfortably to his eyelids. "Mom!" he called, looking about the burning room. Flames lapped in several directions, but it mostly directed on the kitchen side, and beginning to devour the couches.

Kaoru raced by the flames and headed towards his mother's bedroom. The door was closed; Kaoru tapped the door handle warily. It was hotter than the front door. Bracing himself, Kaoru forced his covered hand onto the handle and wrenched it open, burning his fingers.

The door flew open but a burst of flames enshrouded the room. And its intense heat attacked Kaoru's skin; he was sweating so fiercely and suddenly he was feeling drained. Coughing severely, Kaoru took in a poisonous amount of smoke into his lungs. His face flushed.

"Mom," Kaoru croaked into the smoky room. He forced himself forward, closer and closer to the flames. His eyes burned but he pulled his sweatshirt up to shield his nose and mouth.

"Mom," he called again, looking through the debris, just making out the burning bed. She wasn't here. He didn't see her.

He turned back to the door but screamed when a towering stack of flaming boxes fell into his path, casting ash and hot embers across his face. His eyes watered from the stinging speckles and he coughed pitifully, breathing in the hot, toxic air.

He had to get out. He couldn't breathe… but he was blocked in on all sides by the hellish infernos. It was going to eat him alive.

Thinking fast, Kaoru zipped his sweatshirt up all the way and shrugged his hood over his head. And taking a running start, Kaoru sprinted into the fire and dashed through the door. The living room was completely on fire now. Coughing again, Kaoru made his way towards the open front door. The curtains were blazing, whipping against the sweltering heat around the door. As Kaoru approached, he heard a loud thud behind him. He whipped around and his eyes zeroed in on his bedroom's closed door.

Kaoru ran to it with his lungs heaving. He held his sweatshirt to his nose once again. He was beginning to feel dizzy and his limbs were so heavy. When he reached the door, he heaved at the knob but was horrified to find it locked. He leaned back and, with all his strength, Kaoru kicked in the door. But in the process, Kaoru had busted his foot through the door, scraping into his skin. He cried out as he pulled his bloody leg from the splintered door, and his cry only brought more smoke into his lungs.

With very little energy, Kaoru stumbled into his room and fell to his knees. Everything, _everything_, was burning. His dresser was unrecognizable and his blankets were reduced to ashes. But Kaoru gasped in horror at the figure lying before him.

An empty needle laid inches from the woman… his mother. Her flesh was burning and charred. Kaoru… Kaoru knew she wasn't alive anymore. He cried out in despair, crawling miserably to the body. "Mom," he wheezed.

His vision dimmed for just a second and he found himself collapsed onto his side onto the hot carpet. Flames encircled him, wrapping him in sizzling heat. Kaoru coughed and he could taste blood and ash in his teeth.

He struggled to raise himself but his muscles were stiff and heavy, so he just twitched painfully on the floor. It was so hot. The room, in his eyes, distorted, blurring into red, a burning Hell. Kaoru couldn't breathe, couldn't see. His head pounded.

With the last of his energy, Kaoru curled into himself and gasped for air. And suddenly, his body went limp, thrusting him into unconsciousness.


	31. Chapter 31

**Holy cow! 20 reviews! I feel popular. / Well, now I'm scared for this chapter. I keep fearing that I won't write to your standards! **

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><p>The funeral was a on a rainy day. The slow procession made their way over the damp, green cemetery shrouded in black, clutching full black umbrellas. The rain fell in a steady, calm drizzle, pattering whimsically against the gravestones. There was no sun.<p>

Hikaru turned his face up into the falling rain, letting it drip down his features as he pressed a hand to his throbbing chest. He closed his eyes, still trying to deal with the reality of the death.

An umbrella appeared over his head and he opened his eyes to the sound of rain hitting plastic. "It'll be alright," his mom said sympathetically, holding the umbrella.

Hikaru blinked away the water around his eyes, pretending it was just rain. "No, it won't," Hikaru sat flatly.

He pulled away from his mother and followed the procession to where the coffin sat above the gaping hole in the ground. The top of the Chester wood coffin was a group of flowers, sagging in the rain; the bouquet was made of roses and lilies.

The group encircled the coffin with bowed heads and long faces. Only the rain was the soundtrack to their sorrow. The pastor went to stand at the head of the coffin, holding in his hand a thick black Bible while a woman held his umbrella for him.

Zen came to stand behind Hikaru and he squeezed his shoulder. Hikaru leaned into it, gritting his teeth. This last week had been so hard, so terrifying.

The pastor opened his Bible to a bookmarked page and waited for the crowd to settle. And when they did, he began to read quiet verses that spoke of life and death. Hikaru's lip trembled.

Halfway through the third verse, Hikaru finally looked up from the coffin and made eye contact with amber eyes. But those eyes were so dead. Kaoru was wearing a black suit; it was the most well-dressed he'd ever seen Kaoru but it just wasn't right. The rain poured steadily down onto his unprotected head and flattened his long, orange hair to his face. Bandages were pressed across parts of his face, wrapped around his fingers, and much more underneath that suit. His mouth was slack and his hands were pressed together respectively. But Kaoru dropped his eyes back down to the coffin as the verses continued.

Behind Kaoru, his social worker took a step forward and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. She gestured to her umbrella; he shook his head no. And then she stepped back, allowing him to continue his deadened stare.

Hikaru hadn't been there for Kaoru, and it killed him. If only he had insisted on going with Kaoru to the hospital. Or maybe if he had stayed and waited until Kaoru got back… Hikaru shook his head; it was all in the past. Kaoru would get over her death eventually. It would just take some time.

Kaoru stood completely still. Hikaru didn't even see a twitch. In fact, Kaoru hadn't really talked at all the past week; there wasn't any time between the hospital visits, meetings with the social worker, and the funeral… but Hikaru was determined to talk to him afterwards.

It didn't take long for the funeral to disperse; some hurried away while others left more slowly. Kaoru and Hikaru, however, remained where they were, staying near the coffin. "Want me to stay?" Zen asked with concerned eyes.

Hikaru shook his head. "No, I need to talk to Kaoru alone."

Zen smiled crookedly. "Just let me know if you need anything."

Hikaru watched him walk away over his shoulder, followed by Hikaru's parents. Turning back, the social worker was now standing off in the distance, leaning against her car, while Kaoru stood by the coffin. The two of them were alone now.

Kaoru leaned forward and rested a hand on the edge of the coffin. His eyes were lowered beneath his matted hair and he was pale; it was something that worried Hikaru. "Kaoru," he said softly into the rain.

Kaoru didn't respond. Instead he pulled something out of his suit pocket. Hikaru's breath caught. It was a paper crane. Kaoru straightened the paper before setting it gently near the coffin's bouquet. "The rain's going to ruin it," Kaoru stated with his voice full of agony. He dropped his hand away and looked up at Hikaru. Water dripped down his face.

Hikaru crossed the distance in an instant, pulling his little brother into a firm hug. Kaoru collapsed into him, resting his head on Hikaru's shoulder and clutching pitifully to Hikaru's overcoat. "It's all gone," Kaoru sobbed, shaking hard. "My whole life, gone, and for what?" Hikaru stroked Kaoru wet hair as he tried not to cry himself. "And I promised him. I promised Dad I would take care of her."

"It's not your fault," Hikaru reasoned, pressing his chin to Kaoru forehead.

"But it feels like it is," Kaoru whimpered. "I think it is."

"It's not," Hikaru urged, holding him tighter.

They stayed like that in the pouring rain, in the dim light, until Kaoru's sobs quieted. He dropped his arms from Hikaru's sides but stayed where he was. Hikaru loosened his grip. "Thanks, Hikaru," Kaoru murmured. Hikaru leaned back to look Kaoru straight in the eyes. "For everything."

Hikaru dropped his arms and Kaoru stepped back. "I didn't do anything. Why are you telling me this?"

Kaoru glanced back at his social worker. "Because I don't know what's going to happen," he said miserably. He lowered his eyes, wringing his hands. "When I go with the social worker… I really don't know where I'll end up."

Hikaru paled. "What?"

Kaoru tried to smile but it came out more pained than anything. "I just don't know," Kaoru breathed.

"Come live with my family, they'll be happy to have you," Hikaru said in a panic.

"No."

"They love you, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind another-"

"No."

"Please Kaoru, you have to work with me here," Hikaru's voice rose. He curled his fingers in frustration.

"No, Hikaru," Kaoru said, pressing a hand to his own lips and looking away. "I'm not going to do that to your family."

"Do what?"

Kaoru looked to him in exasperation. "I'm a curse. I only bring bad luck to everyone around me."

"You're not a curse, Kaoru," Hikaru said. Kaoru turned away, into the rushing wind. "No, listen to me." Hikaru grabbed Kaoru's shoulder, whipping him around to face him. "I'm your brother. I'll accept you no matter what. Are you really going to walk away from that?"

Kaoru's gaze hardened. "Yes." He shrugged Hikaru's hand off and backed away slowly as he straightened his suit jacket. "See you around Hikaru," he muttered.

And Hikaru was left to watch Kaoru walk slowly across the watery cemetery to meet the social worker. Without hesitation, Kaoru slipped into the woman's car. They pulled away, leaving a devastating hole in Hikaru's chest.

Hikaru was alone in the rain, in a cemetery, missing what was.


	32. Chapter 32

Kaoru sat by the windowsill, staring out at the rising sun; it sparkled off the trees and warmed the dewy grass. He sighed with his eyelids heavy. Kaoru hadn't slept a wink during the night, but that was because he didn't want to… because he knew the nightmares would be back. Wrapping his arms tighter around his knees, he glanced at his roommate who was sound asleep in his bed. Kaoru wondered how much longer he would be in this group home. Or would he be here until he turned 18?

He sighed lowly. He'd only been here for a week and already he was sick of the place.

The door to his left drifted open silently and Kaoru stared at it anxiously with fear spiking his belly. "Kaoru?" the soft voice called.

Kaoru relaxed, recognizing the dark chocolate eyes of his social worker. He gave a little wave,

"I thought I would find you up," she murmured. She reached a hand out to him. "Come on."

He took her hand, allowing himself to be led out of the suffocating room. He wondered what would happen today. Yesterday, the day of the funeral, Akemi had told him that she had something very important to talk about; but she wouldn't say what until Kaoru got some sleep.

Akemi swept a lock of brown hair from her eyes, smiling wide. "I've got a great surprise for you today, Kaoru. You'll be excited, I'm sure, but it doesn't come until nine." She looked at her watch, calculating. "Two hours from now."

Kaoru nodded. "Okay."

They were walking down the dark hallway between the other resident's rooms. Not many others were up at this time. Kaoru always was though. Akemi glanced at him again. "You don't look so good," she noted, taking in his pale skin. "You should get more sleep."

"You know I can't," Kaoru replied, looking down as they started to descend the stairs from the fourth floor.

"Still bad dreams?" Kaoru didn't say a word, so Akemi stopped in the middle of the stairwell, staring at him seriously. "If you just tell me what happened that day or even what your dreams are about, I could help you. You know I could."

Kaoru winced away. "Yeah you would, I know, but I can't." He wrapped his arms around himself. There wasn't a thing he wanted to remember.

They continued down the stairs to the bottom floor where Akemi led him into her office. She sat down behind her desk while Kaoru retreated to his usual chair.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru, but we have to go over it one more time," she said, clasping her hands together on her desk.

Kaoru hung his head. "Seriously? We've done this so many times already."

"But it must be done," she sighed.

Kaoru nodded, straightening his chair and looking her straight in the eyes. "Ask away."

She smiled weakly before she picked up a piece of paper on her desk. "Where were you prior to the fire?"

"On the way to the hospital to pick up my mom."

"What happened when you arrived at the hospital?"

"She'd already checked out without telling me," Kaoru said, leaving out the part about Akito.

"And when you got home and noticed the fire in your home, why did you go in?" Her eyes snapped to his. She seemed suspicious of something.

But Kaoru was ready to knock the doubt out of her. He shrugged convincingly. "I don't know. I just thought mom might be in there."

Akemi leafed through pages beyond her current sheet, saying, "Previously you've told me that you passed out in the fire and that you could not move. The only missing part of the puzzle is who pulled you out of the fire. And there was an anonymous call to 911. But there were no fingerprints or witnesses when the emergency contacts arrived. Do you have any idea who pulled you out?"

Kaoru shook his head. "Not at all. Maybe I have a guardian angel?"

What a convincing lie. Kaoru did remember who pulled him out: Akito. And Akito only did so to leave Kaoru with one last message before he disappeared. _"Your debt is paid. But tell anyone about this and that twin of yours will be the next on my list."_

That warning from Akito was branded into Kaoru's mind. He wouldn't let a thing happen to Hikaru, even if it meant covering for Akito. He bit his lip. "Are we done yet? All my answers will be the same as before."

Akemi sighed. "Fine, let's go get you some breakfast."

The food at the group home wasn't so bad. Kaoru chewed slowly on his eggs, watching the other kids socialize at the other tables. He sat alone though. Kaoru wasn't good at making friends, talking to people. He didn't know the first place to start. So he looked down at his plate, raking his fork through his hash browns.

But then his hand stopped and he dropped his fork. He suddenly wasn't so hungry anymore. It was a harsh reality that his home was destroyed and that his mom was permanently out of his life. But it was one he kept forgetting. On occasion he almost expected his mom to walk through the door and tell him that they were going home.

Instinctively, Kaoru picked up his paper placemat and folded it. And before he knew it, his hands were flying through the familiar steps of making a paper crane. When it was finished, Kaoru placed it near his glass of orange juice and stared. "One of a thousand," he murmured. It was going to take forever.

"Kaoru," a voice echoed across the dining hall. The other kids paid no attention as Akemi beckoned Kaoru from the front entrance.

Kaoru stood from his chair, grabbing his paper crane, and followed her out of the dining hall and back to her office. She paused outside the door with her hand resting on the handle. "I've a got a real surprise for you Kaoru. I think you'll be very happy. You are going home today."

"Home?" Kaoru questioned, not really knowing what she meant by that.

"Well, a new home," she corrected herself brightly.

"Who in their right minds wants a sixteen-year-old kid?" Kaoru voiced his confusion.

Akemi ruffled his hair, smiling fondly. "Just you wait and see." She turned back to the door and opened it, going in first. "Hello, glad you could make it," she greeted whoever was inside. Kaoru could not see who it was over her shoulder.

Akemi turned back to him. "Come in, Kaoru."

Kaoru forced himself to move forward, propelled by pure curiosity. And when he finally stepped over the threshold, he caught a glimpse at his new guardian. Kaoru stopped in his tracks, stunned.

"Hello Kaoru."

"Hi Dad."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh no, I'm not done with Kaoru yet. What do you think his dad will be like?<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

Kaoru stared at his father… who was staring intently back. Dad had changed a lot; the last time Kaoru had seen him, his face was scruffy and his eyes had darkened circles. He never looked very happy in Kaoru's memories. But here, Dad was smiling. His face was well-shaven and his clothes were clean and unwrinkled. It was a bit disorienting.

"You've got taller," he said.

Kaoru nodded. "Well, it has been two years…" Kaoru trailed off, glancing uncertainly at Akemi.

Akemi smiled. "Well, Mr. Hitachiin here still has custody over you and he is willing to take you in. We did some background checks and looked into his home life and everything looks good. I promise you, Kaoru, this will be a good thing."

Kaoru glanced away to study his father again. Akemi didn't know what he did though. She didn't know about how he had left Kaoru alone on the street or how he had hit him and his mom. Kaoru didn't know how he felt about this exactly…

"I guess so," Kaoru said hesitantly. He didn't know if he was making the right decision.

"Great!" Akemi cried. "Then you go home today. We just need to sign a few papers and you're off."

Kaoru paled. Everything was happening so fast. Almost too fast. "Uh, okay," Kaoru mumbled out.

Mr. Hitachiin nodded. "Alright, let's sign those papers."

Kaoru watched blankly as his father was led over to Akemi's desk and she began to pass him sheets to sign. A quick signature here, a few initials there, and suddenly Kaoru was under complete custody of his father. "Where are we going to live?" Kaoru asked anxiously.

"I've got a place here in Ouran," Dad replied, setting down his pen. "I think you'll like it."

"Oh…"

"Alright, that's everything!" Akemi said excitedly, not noticing their awkward exchange.

"Okay, Kaoru, let's go," Dad said, taking Kaoru by the shoulder and leading him out of the office and down the hall. Akemi followed them and waved them off at the facility's door. Kaoru walked in a haze, being led to a shiny blue SUV.

"That's your car?" Kaoru asked, completely baffled.

"Yeah," Dad said, walking around the front of the vehicle and unlocking it. They slid into their seats at the same time. "I got a promotion at my job recently, so I was able to upgrade.

Kaoru buckled himself and watched his father warily as they pulled away from the curb. "You got a promotion?" he asked in complete disbelief.

Dad sighed heavily. "I guess I owe you an explanation, don't I?"

"You're kidding right?"

Dad smiled. "Well, the day I left you and your mom, I promised myself that I would get help. I've had this anger management issue-"

"I've noticed," Kaoru said blandly.

He chuckled before continuing. "Well, I've been working on it. My issues have gotten better, I think, but I still go to the classes. I was trying to shape up for you and your mom…"

Kaoru searched his father's eyes and found nothing but truth and regret. "Really?" Kaoru couldn't stop himself from hoping.

"Really," Dad replied. "In fact, I was getting ready to move the two of you in with me now that I got my life back in order… but then your mom…"

"Died," Kaoru inputted. "Sorry, Dad, it's my fault." He looked away and out the window at the blurring houses. "I promised you I would take care of her…" Kaoru swallowed roughly.

"It's not your fault," he said, watching the road as they slowing at a stop sign. "I shouldn't have put that kind of responsibility on a fourteen year old."

Kaoru snapped his eyes to his father. He bit his lip. This was too much. His father was exactly the opposite of before. Was that really possible?

"We're almost there," Dad announced as they pulled into a nicer neighborhood.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kaoru said suddenly, looking out the window.

"What?"

Kaoru watched Hikaru's house pass outside his window. "Nothing. It's just that my friend lives near here."

Dad smiled at Kaoru. "Well that's good. Also, the school is closer to this area, so you won't have to go as far."

The SUV slowed and suddenly they were pulling into the driveway of a beautiful home. It was huge! The house was white and colonial style. There were two Sycamore trees in the yard, casting a healthy shade into their wide yard. They pulled in next to a blue Honda Civic. It was the perfect car.

Kaoru jumped out of the SUV and stared at the car, trailing his fingers over the shiny frame. "You have two cars?"

"Nope, that's your car."

Kaoru gasped, looking up when his father who was holding out a set of keys for him. "Thank you," Kaoru exclaimed, overcome with emotion. And suddenly he launched himself into his father's arms, hugging him hard. Dad hugged just as strongly. This right here was everything Kaoru wanted. He had a father who wanted him and he had a home he could be proud of.

Kaoru pulled back and smiled. "Can I take it for a spin?"

"Do you have your license?"

Kaoru laughed. "I guess I only have my permit."

Dad nodded, "I'll set you up a driver's test as soon as possible. We can't just have your car sitting in the driveway."

Kaoru smiled genuinely. "Okay."

"Let's go see your room. I set it up pretty cool, I think. But then again, I don't know what's cool with the kids these days."

Excitement fluttered in Kaoru's chest. "Let's go!"

The house was amazing. It was roomy and clean, and almost as good as Hikaru's house. And Kaoru couldn't believe the size of his room. It was twice the size of his old one! His bed was new with a dark blue comforter and his dresser and desk were black.

Kaoru was left alone in his room and he leaned back into his extremely comfortable bed and sighed. This was more than he had ever could have asked for. Maybe things were looking up for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Seems a little too perfect, doesn't it?<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

Hikaru was worried when he went to school on Monday. He hadn't heard anything from Kaoru, not even a text. Parking his car, he slammed his car door shut and slung his blue backpack over his shoulder, heading for the front of the school. The other students were streaming towards the front entrance. Hikaru scanned the crowd, looking for his friends.

As he went to cross the street from the parking lot, an SUV slowed in front of him, turning into the drop-off lane. Hikaru walked around it as it settled to a stop, and he pushed the heavy backpack further up on his shoulders.

"Hikaru!" someone called from someone nearby.

Hikaru swung around and was met with the surprising view of Kaoru clambering out of the expensive, sleek SUV. "Wait up," Kaoru called with a smile on his face.

Hikaru just watched, dumbfounded, as Kaoru hopped down onto the pavement, taking a step in his direction. "Don't forget your backpack," a man behind the wheel said, leaning towards Kaoru.

"Right," Kaoru replied, reaching back into the vehicle to grab a brand new backpack.

Hikaru tilted his head, trying to catch a better view of the man. He had dark black hair and amber eyes. He was smiling at the two of them. "Who…?"

"This is my dad," Kaoru said happily, gesturing with his hand to the guy.

"Meaning…"

"He's your dad too," Kaoru inputted. Kaoru shrugged on his bag.

Hikaru glanced warily at his… dad. "Hi," Hikaru said slowly.

"Hello," Mr. Hitachiin replied, reaching forward over Kaoru's seat. "It's nice to finally meet my other son."

Hikaru took his hand in a firm handshake, squinting at him. There was something about him…

"Okay, see you after school dad, I got to get to class," Kaoru said, bracing the door.

Mr. Hitachiin dropped Hikaru's hand. "Okay. Maybe we can have Hikaru over too sometime, catch up a little."

Kaoru nodded, "Alright." And he closed the door and backed away. It didn't take long for Mr. Hitachiin to pull away from the curb, heading off towards the main road. Kaoru glanced at Hikaru and started strolling away saying, "Come on. We're going to be late."

Hikaru gaped before quickly catching up to his brother. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Kaoru asked, looking at Hikaru in utter confusion.

"You and your dad?"

"Oh," Kaoru realized and gave Hikaru a quick smile. "He took me in this weekend."

"Just like that? Is he a good guy?" Hikaru questioned, waiting as Kaoru opened the front door and they walked inside.

They began walking down the long hallways, heading towards the sophomore lockers. "Yeah," Kaoru said, turning into the hall by his locker. He stopped in front of it but his hand paused on the dial. "At least, I think he is."

"That's not very reassuring," Hikaru pointed out. He watched as Kaoru's face flickered into doubt and back again.

Kaoru spun the dial. "He took me in and is helping me out with everything. He's changed."

"Changed from what?" Hikaru asked, extremely suspicious.

Kaoru forced open the locker, revealing his mess inside. He began to rummage through the books and notebooks. "Nothing. I just know he's better now."

Hikaru leaned against the locker next to Kaoru's, watching as his brother's smile faded. Kaoru's movements slowed and he paused with his algebra book halfway into the locker. He tilted his head and glanced at Hikaru, his face completely serious. "You don't think he would hurt me again, would he?"

There was no time to reply, when suddenly a fist slammed into the locker behind Hikaru, making the two of them jump. Tamaki appeared at their side laughing, "I scared you, didn't I?"

Kaoru plastered on a fake smile. "You scared me out of my wits."

Later, they were in their home economics class and the assignment of the day was to make their choice of baked item. Hikaru and Kaoru had picked the "daunting" task of making brownies. Kaoru dumped the flour into the bowl.

"I think the flour is supposed to go in last," Hikaru said, looking down at their recipe.

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "I don't think the brownies care which way it's mixed."

Silence descended upon them once again and they worked in silence. It had been like this ever since the incident at the lockers. Hikaru poured the teaspoon of baking soda into the mixing bowl. Hikaru sighed, setting the measuring spoon down on the white counter. "Kaoru…"

"Just come over to my house after school, okay?" Kaoru glanced up as he poured the sugar. "Then you can decide for yourself if he is a bad guy."

Hikaru looked right into Kaoru's eyes, searching. "Okay," Hikaru agreed.

Kaoru smiled. "I can pick you up at your house."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "Pick me up? You mean…"

His grin grew as he smiled. "Yup, I have a car now. And I'm taking my license test on Friday."

"Oh man, that's great Kaoru," Hikaru exclaimed, pushing Kaoru affectionately in the shoulder. The sugar in Kaoru's hand shifted sharply, sending a shower of white crystals into the air and all over the gray linoleum floor.

"Mr. Hitachiin, clean up your mess immediately!" the teacher cried, walking by angrily.

"Right away!" Kaoru replied, giving a salute to her turned back.

Hikaru snickered, trying to keep himself under control. "You better get cleaning, Kaoru."

Kaoru glared before grabbing the broom from the side of the table. "Here you go Hikaru, I know how much you wanted to sweep."

"No way, you're the one who can't hold stuff properly."

Kaoru smiled evilly, picking up the bag of sugar once again. He deliberately dumped a good amount onto the floor and quickly replaced the bag. "Hikaru's wasting supplies!" Kaoru called out into the room. The class began laughing as the old woman hollered, "Mr. Nagamu!"

Hikaru promptly flicked flour into his brother's long orange hair, laughing hard. "Oh that's it!" Kaoru cried, grabbing the flour bag from Hikaru's hand.

"No!" Hikaru laughed, dodging out of the way and grabbing the nearest girl to use as a human shield. She screeched in surprise as the flour showered the two of them. Suddenly the whole class was joining in, grabbing their own cooking supplies.

In the background, the Home Economics teacher yelled, "Boys, boys! Stop this immediately! Detention for the both of you!"

But they kept laughing as Kaoru dumped the rest of the bag over Hikaru's head. They were going to be in so much trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: I don't actually know what Mr. Hitachiin looks like, nor do I know his actual name.<strong>


	35. Chapter 35

"I can't believe you got me detention," Hikaru groaned with his head down on the desk. The teacher had left temporarily to grab his photocopies off the printer. The twins were sitting three full rows away from each other. "I've never had detention until I met you."

"Hey, I'm a good influence," Kaoru said with a smile. His feet were kicked up onto the desk and he was leaning back in his chair, tipping it onto two legs. In his hands he was holding a Gameboy and he pressed buttons feverishly, concentrating hard.

Hikaru lifted his head from the desk. "Where did you get that Gameboy?"

"Out of the confiscation drawer," Kaoru said nonchalantly.

"Seriously?" Hikaru gasped at Kaoru.

Kaoru looked up at him. "Yeah, I always play this when I'm in detention."

"How many times have you been in detention?" Hikaru asked, tilting his chair in Kaoru's direction.

Kaoru shrugged going back to the game, clicking quickly. Hikaru chuckled and leaned back into his chair. Then the door swung open as the teacher on detention duty began to meander inside with a stack of papers in his hands. Across from Hikaru, Kaoru quickly chucked the Gameboy down on the floor, letting it slide across the tiles and it landed expertly under the teacher desk without a single sound.

Hikaru gave Kaoru a sharp look but Kaoru just rolled his eyes. The man walked in further and set his sheets onto the desk, pausing. "What is that noise?" the detention teacher asked, looking around.

Fighting back a smile, Hikaru glanced at Kaoru. Kaoru had forgotten to turn the Gameboy off. Kaoru turned an innocent look at the teacher and took his feet off the desk. "I don't know sir; we wondering where that sound was coming from too."

Ducking down by the desk, the teacher grabbed the Gameboy out from under the chair. He glanced at it before holding it up. "Is this either of yours?" he questioned. They both shook their heads. "Okay, the two of you can go for the day."

* * *

><p>Hikaru waited at the end of his driveway, glancing at his phone every so often. He'd left the school parking lot a little before Kaoru, who had been waiting at the curb for his dad, but it shouldn't take that long to come pick him up.<p>

But finally, Hikaru noticed a blue car rolling slowly down the street and it stopped directly in front of his driveway. The window lowered. "Hey Hikaru! Hop in!" Kaoru cried from the driver's seat. In the passenger's side sat Mr. Hitachiin, who smiled widely at Hikaru.

Hikaru looked away quickly before opening the back door, hopping inside. "So this is your car then?"

Kaoru nodded, glancing at Hikaru in his rear-view mirror before pulling away from the driveway. "It was my old car," Mr. Hitachiin inputted, turning slightly in his seat to look at Kaoru.

"Old car? It seems fairly new to me," Hikaru exclaimed, rubbing his hand across the leather interior as Mr. Hitachiin turned away.

"Well, I got this one at first," he began, "but I decided that an SUV would suit me better. I was going to give this car to Yuzuha but…"

"I really like it," Hikaru said, steering the conversation away from the danger zone.

Kaoru slowed at a stop sign, looked around briefly, and they continued straight. Mr. Hitachiin looked back at Hikaru again. "So… Hikaru… what have you been up to? Are you happy?"

Hikaru caught Kaoru's quick glance in the mirror again. It took him a minute to reply. "Yeah, really happy." What else was there to say?

"Do you have any hobbies? Do you play any sports?" he pressed.

Hikaru frowned, trying to think of anything to tell his long-lost father. But Kaoru answered for him, "Hikaru likes to sketch."

"Yeah, but I'm not very good."

"That's brilliant!" Mr. Hitachiin exclaimed, his face full of pride. "I would love to see them."

"Yeah, but like I said, I'm not-"

Kaoru laughed. "Hikaru, you're better at it than you think."

"That means we have two artists in the family," their father said proudly.

"Making paper cranes can hardly be called art," Kaoru said flatly, taking a right at the second stop sign. They rolled past houses similar to Hikaru's.

"You're still making paper cranes?" Hikaru questioned, leaning slightly forward in his seat to get a better glimpse of his brother.

"Starting at square one again," Kaoru sighed. And then abruptly they were turning right into a driveway in front of a beautiful home.

"Geez, Kaoru, take slower turns next time," Mr. Hitachiin joked when Kaoru shifted into park. Kaoru cut the engine and unbuckled himself.

Hikaru fumbled with his seat belt. "Wait, so you only live like six blocks away from me?" Hikaru asked, growing in excitement.

Kaoru grinned at him. "Yup. It'll be a lot easier than biking all the way across town, wouldn't you say?"

Without another word, they exited the car and herded themselves towards the front door. Hikaru was astonished at how well-kept the place was. Kaoru opened the door and Hikaru followed him inside. A salty and mouth-watering aroma filled their senses.

"What's cooking?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked in unison, looking at Mr. Hitachiin.

He chuckled, "You two really are twins." He scraped off his shoes quickly and the twins did the same. "I started some pot roast before I left the house.

"You can cook?" the two said together once again. They looked at each other in surprise.

Mr. Hitachiin shook his head. "Of course I can."

"Come on, let me show you my room," Kaoru said, already walking away.

Hikaru followed Kaoru down a hall of the side of the front entrance, down past a bathroom and the laundry room, to a large room on the end. When he walked inside, Hikaru exclaimed, "This is better than my room!"

"Damn straight," Kaoru replied, flopping onto his bed.

Hikaru looked out the window; it faced the street on which the house sat in the middle of. There were well-trimmed bushes in the yard and an abundant green tree to the left. "This is great. I don't have to climb over a dumpster to get to your room."

"Just use the front door," Kaoru snorted. "And when have you ever gone into my room that way?"

Hikaru shook his head with a smile. Then he noticed the three paper cranes, sitting on the bedside table near an alarm clock. "Is this all you have so far?"

Kaoru sat up. "No, I have more in my closet… I'm still going to try for a thousand."

"It's still going to take a while," Hikaru said softly, examining a red crane.

"Yeah, but I gotta try."

* * *

><p><strong>Peace out, gotta go to work.<strong>


	36. Chapter 36

Kaoru awoke with a start on Wednesday morning, breathing hard and staring unseeingly at the ceiling. His breathless pants matched his thumping heart and sweat lined his brow. He moved his sweaty palm from under the heavy comforter and pressed it to his chest. Morning light glittered through his brand new curtains, shining on the edge of bed. But it was too bright for Kaoru's eyes as he stared sightlessly at the white ceiling.

He'd had the dream again. The one full of fire and screams and… Kaoru scrunched his eyes shut and turned his head to the side to check the time on the clock radio. It was early morning, 7 AM, and almost time to get up and ready for school.

Straightening and pulling himself into a sitting position, Kaoru rubbed a hand across his eyes and turned off the still-silent alarm. He then promptly reached past his clock for his cell phone, the one thing that had survived the deathly fire that haunted his dreams. Shakily, Kaoru snapped open the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" A low monotone voice answered coolly through the speaker.

"Kyoya," Kaoru uttered, his voice breaking on the last syllable.

"You had the dream again didn't you?" Kyoya was the one person Kaoru called about these things: his horrid dreams, his endless paranoia, and everything in between. He knew Kyoya would never betray his feelings and tell another soul because they were alike in so many ways. Kaoru had enough blackmail to ensure Kyoya would never repeat Kaoru's words.

"Yeah, the same one," Kaoru sighed, cupping a hand over his tired eyes.

"It's in the past, Kaoru. You're free and you have nothing to worry about. You'll be fine," Kyoya reminded him as he had done every day since the incident.

Kaoru let out a slow breath. "But it doesn't stop the dreams, Kyoya."

Silence enveloped them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; in fact, this was the quiet Kaoru sought. Kaoru bowed his head and let it wash over him for a moment.

"Feeling better?" Kyoya inquired after a while.

"Yeah," Kaoru said softly, cracking a smile.

"Good. I have to get ready for school. And remember Kaoru, you can call me any time."

"I wish you could get out of the drug ring too," Kaoru burst suddenly, full of emotion. "I wish I wasn't the only one free."

Kyoya paused for a second. "My situation isn't so bad," he stated. "I'm not in a position to sell drugs, you know that."

Kaoru nodded to himself. He did know that. Kyoya was considered maybe a supervisor of some sort because he only attended the meetings. In that way, Kaoru thought maybe Akito did care for his younger brother.

"Besides," Kyoya said, interrupting Kaoru's thoughts, "I'll get out eventually. It's all about timing. Anyways, I really should go now. You're okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Kyoya." And they both hung up.

For a few more minutes, Kaoru took some time to breathe, letting himself calm. He stared at his white walls and waited as his heart slowed, and finally, he no longer felt a trace of the terror in his dream.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Kaoru, are you awake?" his father's voice called through. Regardless, he swung the door open. "Oh good, you are up. I made pancakes if you want some."

Kaoru's face lightened immediately. "I love pancakes!"

"Chocolate chip pancakes okay?"

"Are you kidding?" Kaoru exclaimed, jumping out of bed. "They're my favorite."

The two moved into the dining room that connected to the kitchen in an open concept. Kaoru always marveled at the sheer grandeur of this area alone. The counters were of sleek black granite and the dining room set was made of mahogany. Kaoru still couldn't even get over the fact that he didn't have to cook anymore.

Kaoru slid into his seat in the middle of the rectangular table and pulled the plate of pancakes toward him, dumping three cakes onto his own plate. "Got quite an appetite there, don't you?" Dad asked, looking amused.

"It's been a while since I've had these," Kaoru explained, dumping syrup onto his cakes.

His father nudged a plate of sausage towards Kaoru before sipping lightly on his orange juice. "So what are you doing after school Kaoru? I was thinking we could go out driving before your test on Friday."

"Actually, I go back to work today. Kamaza was kind enough to give me so much time off since everything happened."

Father set his glass down, looking at Kaoru funny. "You work at a diner right?"

"Yeah," Kaoru said slowly.

"Kaoru, you don't have to work you know," he said, completely serious.

Kaoru paused with his fork hovering above his pancakes. "What?"

"Well, I make enough for the both of us. So all I'm really saying is that maybe you don't need a job right now. You're a teenager. You have your whole life ahead of you to work. Why not enjoy things while you're young?"

Kaoru set his fork down, speechless. He never even considered giving up his job; he'd never given it a thought. It just seemed so natural to go back to work… Not a having a job would be a nice. Kaoru looked steadily at his father, gaging the situation. "You would be okay with that?"

"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't," Dad said with a smile.

Kaoru grinned. "Great. Then I'll tell Kamaza that today will be my last day," Kaoru said with growing excitement. The idea of extra free time was almost a dream come true.

School that day flowed the same as always. Kaoru was an average student with average grades and an average interest in the subjects. But what had changed was that Kaoru was starting to enjoy school, little by little. Today was proof of that.

In home economics, Hikaru had thrown mini marshmallows at Kaoru's head all through the lecture. During lunch, Kaoru had sat with his new big group of friends and laughed as they teased Tamaki just to see him squirm. And in history class, which Kaoru shared with Haruhi, they had laughed over how Kaoru's horrible essay had received an 'A.'

But after school, it was time to work and Kaoru was eager to break the news to Kamaza. He caught a ride with Tamaki down to the diner. "You're in a good mood," Tamaki said as Kaoru hummed with the tune on the radio.

"There's a lot to be happy about," Kaoru replied, tapping his finger to the beat.

"Like what?" Tamaki pressed.

Kaoru shrugged. "I'm quitting today."

Tamaki almost swerved off the road in shock. "What? Who is going to take my shifts now?"

Kaoru laughed. "Just ask Kari. Maybe she'll take them," Kaoru said, mentioning the new girl.

"But she hates me!" Tamaki whined as they pulled into the diner parking lot. Tamaki parked and opened his door. "But good for you, I suppose. Did you get a new job?"

Kaoru slammed his door shut. "Nah, I'm just taking a break from the work force," Kaoru said happily.

The door chimed as they entered the front door. They went straight to the supply closet, grabbing their selves an apron. Kaoru tied his on hurriedly before clocking in to the computer. Kari rushed by, looking down at her notepad. She stopped when she saw them. "Oh good the two of you are here. People just got sat at booth 12. Someone get to it." And she whisked away.

"I'll take it," Tamaki said, snapping on his name tag. "You go talk to Kamaza." He stepped out onto the dining floor, switching into his happy-to-serve-you smile before approaching the table.

Kaoru straightened his own name tag and grabbed a notepad before following Tamaki out. Kaoru made a beeline to Kamaza, who was once again working the counter. "Hi, Kamaza," Kaoru greeted.

The counter area was completely empty and she was slowly washing off the surface with a sani-towel. "Thank God you two are here. Kari has been driving me up the walls! There have only been a few tables in today and she insists on acting as if the whole restaurant is full. Did you see how she was flying around?"

"Hey, you hired her. You can't complain," Kaoru snorted.

The woman hung her head, groaning. "Don't remind me."

Kaoru laughed, glancing around the almost empty restaurant, and then lowered his voice. "Kamaza, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

She lifted her head and picked up a glass, inspecting it closely before wiping the dirty rim with the towel. "Yeah and what's that?"

"I'm quitting today."

Kamaza gasped, almost dropping the glass. "What did you just say?"

"I'm-"

"Oh no, I heard you. I'm just horrified! No, Kaoru, you have to stay. I don't want to be stuck here with Kari!" She exclaimed, setting the glass down harshly.

Kaoru smiled, leaning onto the counter. "I promise I will visit."

"No, I won't allow you to leave."

Kaoru just smiled at her sweetly. She groaned. "Why did you have to make a good day a bad one?"

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I actually had a life the last few days. But unfortunately, that meant less writing. I feel deprived! Alright, let's get back on track with these updates... if my homework allows it.<strong>


	37. Chapter 37

Kaoru exited the diner after his last shift and pulled out his phone to call his father for a ride. But then his father pulled into the parking lot in that big SUV of his. Kaoru felt a spark of surprise as he took a step towards the vehicle, putting his phone away. His father rolled down the window. "Hop in, Kaoru!"

Kaoru moved forward, opening the passenger seat and pulling himself inside. He sat back, putting on his seat belt, and asked, "How did you know what time my shift ended?"

"You told me earlier today," he replied with a smile. "It was at breakfast, remember?"

Kaoru scrunched up his face in confusion, shrugging. "I don't remember that… but I could've."

"So what do you say about going for a drive tonight?" Dad asked, pulling into the street.

Kaoru glanced out the window at the pitch black streets and glittering street lights. Never before had Kaoru drove in the nighttime. "When? In the dark?"

"Yeah," Dad said with a short nod, "That's what night driving implies."

Kaoru gave a weak smile, "Okay, I guess." And he looked out the window to watch the old slums zoom past his window.

"You're going to have to learn sometime," Dad said encouragingly. "I think you'll do fine. You already do a perfect job in daylight."

Kaoru turned and gave him a smile. "Thanks."

"So how did your boss take your news? Or Tamaki? I bet he was mad."

Kaoru's smile faded. "Did I ever tell you about Tamaki?"

"Of course you did! Wow, Kaoru, you sure forget a lot that you tell me," Dad laughed.

"It wasn't bad," Kaoru followed up the earlier question. But Kaoru was sure he hadn't told Dad about any of his friends besides Hikaru… but maybe Hikaru told him about them? "They just told me to visit them soon."

"Oh good, they let you off easy then."

The rest of the ride was silent as they rode along until finally they pulled into their driveway. "I'll get the keys for the car while I drop off my bag," Kaoru said, jumping immediately out of the SUV and running to the door. Behind him, his father slowly got of the vehicle to wait for Kaoru.

Kaoru went inside the house, closing the door behind him and put his backpack down beside the front door. He then made his way towards the kitchen towards the key rack. He reached for his car keys when the phone began to ring just in front of him. Kaoru froze for a second. Should he answer it? He knew the call wouldn't be for him…

So he let it go to voicemail and grabbed his keys. He turned away just as the message began and started towards the door when he heard, "Hello, Mr. Hitachiin. This is your advisor, Mr. Akai… I am calling because I am concerned. You have missed three of the four anger management appointments we had set up for you for this month. We advise that you come in as soon as you can. We do not want you to fall back into your old patterns. Call me soon, bye."

The message ended with a beep and Kaoru was left standing utterly still. This all had to be a lie, right? Kaoru began walking again, feeling slightly drained. He didn't know what it could all mean. Kaoru got the door, and made sure it was locked before outside to glimpse the shadowy face of his father. Dad was leaning against his blue car with an excited smile. No, his father probably didn't even need those meetings anymore. So Kaoru worked up a smile and joined him around the side of the car.

"So where are we driving to?" Kaoru asked, jingling the keys in his hand.

Dad pulled open his side of the door and sat down at the same time as Kaoru. Kaoru started the car and it hummed softly. "I was thinking that we could drive to the outskirts of town. That way you can learn how to use your brights and everything."

"Okay, just tell me where to go," Kaoru said as he turned behind him to watch where he was backing out.

They drove for quite a while. Their home was in the center of Ouran, so the drive was a bit lengthy to get out of their large city. They soon reach the woodsy area outside the east side of Ouran. The complete darkness and shadowy trees struck a chord of fear in Kaoru. He breathed deeply as he drove the exact speed limit through the slow wind of the road.

"Okay, turn on your brights," Dad said.

With the lights so much brighter, Kaoru could see so much farther down the shadowy road and the signs reflected brighter. But the shadows in the trees were also so much more profound. "And when another car comes by, switch your lights back into normal so that they won't get blinded by you," his father explained further.

"Right," Kaoru said, gaging his speed.

He looked up from his speedometer and gasped. A deer bounded right into the middle of the road, staring blinded into Kaoru's headlights. With a yell of fear, Kaoru slammed his foot down onto the break hard. A loud pitched squeal from the tires screamed out into the night and beside him, his father was yelling something into Kaoru's ear while clutching the dashboard.

The car was going too fast and it squealed and swerved closer to the deer. In an instant of complete horror, Kaoru swerved the car towards the ditch. The wheels of the car squealed again as the car burst off the pavement, across the graveled shoulder and down, bumping and jerking harshly over the uneven weedy earth, into the ditch. "Shit!" Kaoru shouted, digging his foot hard into the break, trying to stop the car from going any deeper into the ravine.

A tree loomed in his path. Kaoru yanked the steering wheel and just narrowly missed the tree trunk. And in one last effort, Kaoru spun the wheels, making the car swing around across the fast declining hill, kicking up dirt and muck. And finally the car came to a rest halfway down the long drop into wooded ravine, sitting parallel to the road above.

Kaoru was panting hard with his hands gripping heavily around the steering wheel; his knuckles were white. The car hummed quietly, just as always, unharmed. Kaoru quickly switched the car into park and sat back, not daring to look immediately at his father's face; he was too deathly silent.

"Fuck, Kaoru," his father finally snarled.

Kaoru flinched. It was the exact tone his father had always used when he was a kid. "Sorry…"

"Fuck," his father repeated. Dad unbelted himself and hastily exited the car, slamming the door hard behind him. Kaoru watched in fear as his father paced slowly around the car, inspecting every inch, scouring for any damage. He came to stop in front of Kaoru's sharp headlights and promptly glared up at Kaoru through the harsh light. He beckoned Kaoru with a wave of his hand.

Kaoru's heart skipped a beat, but he dove out the car nonetheless, not wasting a second. He appeared at his father's side. He was breathing harshly. "What the fuck were you thinking?" Dad yelled.

Kaoru curled his arms around himself. "I didn't see the deer right away. I didn't…"

"You could have killed us! You could have damaged the car!"

"But I didn't know what to do! I was so-"

_WHACK!_ Kaoru clutched his bruised chin. Dad… had punched him. He looked up at his father who was shaking out his fast. Dad had punched him… His eyes began to water from both the pain of chin and the betrayal of his father. Kaoru let out a sharp gasp as he registered the full pain. He dropped to his knees in front of his car lights. His silhouette shadowed the trees behind him.

Kaoru stared at the dirt until a crunch of his father's footsteps, casted his eyes upwards. Dad crouched down by Kaoru, looking him seriously in the face. "I'm sorry Kaoru. I-I-I didn't mean to do that," he stuttered in a broken voice.

Kaoru searched his father's eyes. They were sad, full of regret. He didn't know whether to believe him or not.

"I haven't been doing very well at my meetings and I've been trying to control my anger… I'm _so_ sorry I took it out on you." And then he took his son in his arms and hugged him tight to his chest.

Kaoru broke at the contact. He didn't want to be mad at his father and somehow it was hard to remain angry. So he hugged his dad back, holding back his tears, and said, "I know you didn't mean to."

"I won't do it again, I promise. I'll try to work it out at the next meeting," Dad mumbled over Kaoru's shoulder. _You don't even go to those meetings,_ Kaoru thought.

"I would never hurt you," his father continued. _It hasn't stopped you before._

But Kaoru pushed those thoughts aside and tightened the hug. "I know, Dad, I know." Kaoru could take care of himself, always had… and always would. His heart ached.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh oh! Things aren't as happy as they seemed.<strong>


	38. Chapter 38

Kaoru watched blankly as the tow truck driver slowly pulled their car up out of the steep ditch. His father hadn't wanted to take the chance to try driving it back up. The road was still pitch dark and the glare of the truck's headlights illuminated the road to the right of Kaoru. But it wasn't enough light to see what was before him. Just the glint of the moonlight shown off the car down below as it was slowly hauled upwards. Dad stood near the tow truck, supervising, while Kaoru stood back near the edge of the road, listening to the whine of the crank and the hum of the truck.

Kaoru held himself together by wrapping his arms fiercely in a knot at his chest. His jaw was still throbbing from the earlier blow and he was sure it had already bruised, remembering how the tow truck driver had looked at him. Kaoru disentangled one hand to brush across his jawline, just flinching slightly at its tenderness.

"Kaoru!" a voice cried, jerking him from his preoccupied state. A car, just a foot or two away, zoomed past him in a startling roar. Kaoru stumbled away from the road, tripped on the even dirt and fell into the thick underbrush. He hissed in pain; he was pretty sure he'd just fallen into thorns. Kaoru detached himself from the prickles just as his father jogged up to him, his face shadowed from the light. Kaoru felt his body shudder slightly. "Kaoru, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Dad asked in exasperation. Kaoru pulled a thorn out of his elbow. "Are you okay?" Kaoru looked up, not seeing his father's expression, but he was holding out his hand for Kaoru.

Reaching forward, Kaoru placed his hand in his father's, and he was helped onto his feet. "You're bleeding," Dad observed, flipping Kaoru's arms left to right, inspecting the damage. "Let's get a bandage on these." Then Kaoru was being led away, towards the tow truck which had just finished pulled their car from the ravine. It pulled forward so that both vehicles were firmly on the shoulder of the road before the man began to detach their car from the back of the truck.

"Seems like there is little damage," the man said, giving them a brief smile before returning to his work.

"Thank you so much, sir," Dad said to him, pulling Kaoru closer to the car. They waited till it was completely lowered and unhooked. "You know where to send the bill, right?"

"Yup, we have all the information we need. Have a great night now," the man said with a smile and a wave, before disappearing into the truck.

"Wait here, Kaoru," Dad said, pressing on Kaoru's shoulders to illustrate his point. He rounded the car, just as the truck pulled away into the silent night. Dad started the car and turned on the lights. Kaoru stared down into the dirt, shuffling his feet for something to do. Then dad returned, his footsteps crunching across the ground. "Here we go," he said, setting a first aid kit down on the hood of the car.

"I'll be fine," Kaoru murmured quietly, looking at the box warily. He just wanted to go home.

"Come here," his father said, taking Kaoru's arm. He moved Kaoru to the front of the car, and pushed him lightly to the car, making him sit on the hood. "Hop up," he commanded.

Kaoru did what he was told. His feet rested on the bumpers and his elbows on his knees. He sighed when Dad opened the kit and pulled out a stack of bandages. "You still have thorns in your arms," Dad said quietly, taking out the tweezers.

Kaoru said nothing as he watched Dad approach him, taking up his arm. His father brought the tweezers forward and latched onto a thorn near the base of Kaoru's wrist. He yanked it from the skin; Kaoru sucked in a deep breath at the pain. Blood bubbled from the pricked skin. His father slipped the bandage onto the wound and placed more onto his other scratches.

Inspecting his arm, Kaoru mumbled, "I don't think I need this many." His arm was covered in Band-Aids.

His father reached for the tweezers again, spotting another thorn in Kaoru's other arm. "Better safe than sorry," he replied and gave Kaoru a bittersweet smile.

Kaoru watched as his father returned to inspecting Kaoru's arms. It was strange. Just a little away ago, his father had been so furious, blinded by rage. But now… he was peaceful, calm. It left Kaoru a bit disoriented.

"It's a shame this all had to happen tonight," Dad said suddenly.

"Why is that?" Kaoru was compelled to ask.

His father looked him right in the eyes again, giving Kaoru a crooked smile. "The social worker is coming tomorrow. She wants to make sure everything is suitable for you." He placed the last bandage on Kaoru's arm before looking up at his son again. He placed a hand under Kaoru's jaw and tilted his face upwards. Dad frowned, looking at the bruise on Kaoru's face. "It's pretty bad."

"I won't tell her," Kaoru said somberly.

His father's eyes searched Kaoru's. "Why not? You have all the reason to."

"Because you are going to keep your word," Kaoru replied. At least, he hoped so.

Dad bit his lip, looking conflicted. "I could lose it again, you know that right?"

Kaoru nodded. "But you don't mean it… right?"

Dad removed his hand from Kaoru's chin returned Kaoru's nod. "Right." He pulled his son into a hug which Kaoru was quick to return. "I love you Kaoru."

Kaoru's chest jolted. His parents… rarely said that. "Love you too Dad," he whispered back, pulling his grip together.

They pulled apart and Dad smiled. "Come on. Let's go home and get something cold on that bruise."

Kaoru smiled back, hopping off the hood of the car into the streaming light. "Okay." He made a step towards the passenger side, but his father stopped him, holding out the keys. "Wha-?"

"You drive."

Kaoru hesitated. "Really?"

"Nothing's going to change Kaoru," his father said.

Taking the keys from his father's hand, Kaoru felt a renewed feeling of hope wash over him.


	39. Chapter 39

Hikaru stared. It was just… weird. Kaoru was sitting beside him at the table, in front of his own sewing machine, sewing the first seam onto his duffel bag. But it wasn't just the sight of Kaoru sewing that freaked him out, it was the large bruise on his cheek, the bandages on his arms, and the way he was still smiling and humming while he sewed that damn bag.

"Kaoru…"

He looked up with wide eyes as if he were surprised to be interrupted. "Hmm?"

"Where did you get that bruise?"

Kaoru moved his hand to his face. "Oh, long story." He put his hand back onto the fabric, feeding it into the sewing machine.

"So give me the short version," Hikaru said, still pinning his own seam together. He hated learning to sew. It wasn't like he was ever going to use this.

Kaoru shrugged, removing his foot from the machine's pedal and removed the fabric, cutting off the extra thread on the edge of the seam. "I got into a car accident yesterday, hit my chin, and fell into a thorn bush." He flipped his duffel around, continuing to sew the next part.

Hikaru gaped. "What the hell, Kaoru, why are you so happy about that? Did you total your car?"

He laughed at Hikaru's remark. "Of course not, I just spun into a ravine is all. Everything is fine; I'm just in a good mood."

"A ravine?" Hikaru cried.

Kaoru paused his stitching to look at Hikaru. "I'm fine, okay?"

Nodding, Hikaru turned back to his work and so did Kaoru. Around them, the room was full with the whir of sewing machines and softly exchanged conversation. Hikaru steadied his hand and focused on setting a pin between two pieces of fabric to temporarily bind it together. The pin slipped through easily, too easily, and pricked his finger, drawing just a trace of blood. Hikaru grimaced and continued.

"What do you think of Dad, Hikaru?" Kaoru said suddenly.

Hikaru's next pin stilled above the fabric as he turned his head to study his younger brother. Kaoru's happy smile had drained into a furrowed brow and pressed lips; his eyes searched Hikaru's. "What do you think?" Hikaru countered quietly.

"I asked you first."

"He bothered me at first," Hikaru began, removing his hands from the duffel to fumble them together. "It just seemed too perfect for him to be suddenly there. Do you know what I mean? It was just weird. But when you had me over, I don't know, I think my opinion changed. He doesn't seem like a bad guy. I think I was worrying too much."

He watched Kaoru as his eyes darted away and he breathed out in relief. "Why? What do you think?" Hikaru questioned.

"Same as you," Kaoru said quickly, turning back to his work. "I just was having a few doubts too. But if you think he's a good guy, then so do I."

* * *

><p>What Kaoru said bothered Hikaru all through the morning class periods. Why would Kaoru ask that so suddenly? Did something happen? The unanswered questions left Hikaru uneasy and agitated. He tapped his pen against his desk through all of fourth period, watching the clock as it ticked so slow towards lunch time. He had energy buzzing through his limbs, settling in a fluttering panic within his stomach. And when the bell rang, Hikaru stumbled to his feet, throwing his bag haphazardly over his shoulder.<p>

Hikaru pushed his way through the busy hall where classmates were streaming in a thick mass towards the cafeteria. But Hikaru was going in the opposite direction of the crowd towards the back of the school where Kaoru's classroom was. Their door swung open in front him; Hikaru stopped in his tracks, waiting.

Kaoru appeared the doorway and spotted Hikaru leaning against the brick wall. "Hey," Kaoru greeted with his face back into his usual surly scowl.

"You look happy," Hikaru stated.

Kaoru scoffed. "Math is enough to put anyone in a bad mood." He went and leaned next to Hikaru. "So why did you come to meet me down here?"

"I have come to propose a proposition," Hikaru said dramatically, with a wicked smile on his face. He had a plan to figure out the information he needed.

"Oh boy, here we go," Kaoru groaned, turning to rest his forehead against the wall.

"No, hear me out," Hikaru said, pulling him back to face him.

Kaoru sighed. "What is it?"

"We should trade places."

Kaoru stared at him blankly… and then began walking away down the emptying hallway.

"Hey!" Hikaru yelled, jogging to catch up with him.

His brother shook his head, giving Hikaru an exasperated expression. "I knew you had some ploy up your sleeve just by the ridiculous grin you gave me, but I didn't think it would be that idiotic," Kaoru ranted.

"Wait," Hikaru commanded, pulling him to a stop by the wrist. "Just listen."

Kaoru groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. "What?"

"Oh come on, Kaoru, think about it! I would be fun! We could mess with people; see if they notice the difference. It would be fun!"

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Kaoru said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You are just going to mess with my life and do stupid things in my name. Besides it wouldn't even work! My hair is longer than yours!"

"That could be easily fixed," Hikaru laughed.

"No." Hikaru smirked at him. "No, we are not cutting my hair!" Kaoru cried with wide eyes and he covered his hair protectively.

Hikaru smiled. "Fine, we don't have to cut it, but I have an idea just as good."

"I doubt it, but go ahead."

"Hats."

"What?" Kaoru asked, looking at him in disbelief.

"Hats," Hikaru repeated. "We'll put on hats, and no one will be able to tell the difference between us."

"That won't work either, Hikaru. We are completely different. Everyone will know the instant the talk to us," Kaoru ranted, frowning.

"Oh, I see what this is. You are too scared to try it," Hikaru taunted, giving his brother a knowing smile. "You know that you would suck at being me."

"Yeah right." Kaoru rolled his eyes. "You would be easy to duplicate. I'm just afraid you will mess up my-"

Hikaru chortled. "Whatever you say Kaoru."

"Fine, I challenge you to twenty-four hours acting as each other. If your identity is found out the other person wins."

"Accepted," Hikaru said automatically, smiling to his self. Kaoru had just backed himself into Hikaru's plan.

They shook on it, glaring at each other. This was going to be fun.

* * *

><p><strong>I told several people that I would have this chapter up yesterday... but life got in the way once again. *heavy sigh* I just wanna write my fanfic, dammit! lol<strong>


	40. Chapter 40

"Why you have two random hats in your car, I will never know," Kaoru said, putting on the hat with the almost flat bill.

"Put it on backwards or sideways. Right now you just look ridiculous." Hikaru tucked his own cap under his arm to help Kaoru straighten it in a way that hid the longer length of his hair while still managing to look pretty cool.

"I feel ridiculous," Kaoru replied, reaching up towards his head.

Hikaru swatted his hands away. "Leave it. You look good, I promise." He pressed his own hat on expertly and fluidly.

Kaoru snorted. "How is it that you look good in hats and I don't?"

"We have the same face, Kaoru," Hikaru laughed. "Anything I look good in, you'll look good in. Now stop worrying."

Kaoru huffed something under his breath and leaned against Hikaru's car as Hikaru continued to straighten his hat so that his hair looked the same as Kaoru by looking at his reflection in the mirror. The parking lot was quiet, since it was during school and they weren't allowed to leave school during the lunch time.

He then turned to Kaoru with a small container of foundation. "And I don't want to know where you got that," Kaoru said, incredulous.

"It's Haruhi's and shut up," Hikaru replied. He applied a thick layer across the entirety of Kaoru's bruise, covering it completely. Kaoru stood still despite his complete discomfort.

"Okay, let's go," Hikaru said as he put away the foundation and walked past Kaoru in the direction of the school.

Groaning, Kaoru said, "Why did I agree to this?"

"Well, at least I know my job will be easy. I just have to act like a whiny little bitch."

"Hey!" Kaoru exclaimed. He aimed a punch to Hikaru's shoulder, but he dodged it, sprinting away. Kaoru chased after him, laughing.

* * *

><p>Hikaru walked into Kaoru's history class and stopped at the edge of the room; they had forgotten to tell each other where they sat…<p>

"Why are you just standing there?"

Hikaru jumped in surprise. He turned and found Haruhi staring at him in confusion. "Uh…"

"Kaoru are you okay?" she asked, her brows turned down in concern.

Hikaru smiled, pleased at her immediate assumption. "Perfect."

She began to move away, going to her seat. Hikaru followed after her, wondering where he was supposed to sit. Haruhi flopped down in her seat, setting her books heavily onto the desk before glancing up. "Sit down already," she said and gestured to the desk next to her.

Hikaru smiled again, sitting down. "Why are you acting so weird today?" Haruhi asked, squinting at him.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Hikaru internally kicked himself. He sounded like a complete idiot.

"Well one, why are you wearing that ridiculous hat?" Hikaru widened his smile, ready to reply when she interrupted, "And another thing! You never, ever really smile. Stop it, you are creeping me out." But she was laughing, obviously making this into a joke.

Hikaru laughed along with her, shrugging it off. And they turned away when class started. Unfortunately for Hikaru, that day was a history pop quiz. He was pretty sure he failed it.

* * *

><p>Kaoru slid into a random seat in Hikaru's math class. Good God, why did he have to have the misfortune of having math twice in the same day? And right in a row! And the worst of it was that Hikaru was in Algebra 2 while Kaoru was in Geometry. Kaoru dropped his head down onto the math book. Why did he agree to this?<p>

"Okay class, please take out your take-home quiz I assigned yesterday," the teacher called. Kaoru stared at her, not remembering her name, and realized he was screwed. Hikaru forgot to give him the homework. Kaoru kneaded his hands together nervously as he watched her go around the room collecting the assignment. See, Kaoru had heard about this teacher. He heard that if a student didn't do their homework more than three times in a row, that student had to stand in the back of the room for the class period. He prayed that Hikaru had done his homework.

The women slowed in front of Kaoru with a frown on her face. "Again, Hikaru?"

"Again?" Kaoru repeated, paling. Everyone turned to stare at him; Kaoru sunk further down into his seat.

"That's four times in a row, Hikaru. You know the rules," she said, her lips curling up into a sadistic smile. Around them, his classmates snickered. Kaoru stared blankly at her for a second before standing. "Go on, to the back of the room."

Kaoru gathered up his books and retreated to the back and set his books down on the lone desk without a chair and then he stood back, resting himself against the cool wall.

"Nope, no leaning," she called, "We already talked about this yesterday. Remember Hikaru?"

"Yes sir, I mean 'mam!" Kaoru stuttered out. The class burst into laughter while Kaoru turned beet red. He had never been so flustered in his life. It was maddening. The teacher tightened her glare, chewing her lip, deliberating.

"You better watch yourself Mr. Nagamu." And she turned and sauntered to the front of the room.

Suddenly, Kaoru found himself smiling.

* * *

><p>Hikaru and Kaoru found each other in the hallway after class at the same time, and simultaneously they yelled, "You set me up!"<p>

"No I didn't," they said unison again.

Hikaru sighed and crossed his arms while Kaoru groaned, throwing his head back. "You had have known there was a quiz today," Hikaru said, speaking first.

"And you should've known that the take-home quiz was due…" Kaoru interjected but then stopped, looking over Hikaru's shoulder with sudden wide eyes. "Shit, here comes Kyoya! He'll definitely know the difference between us no matter what."

Hikaru looked behind him and spotted Kyoya making headway through the crowd. It almost seemed to part for him. "Yeah, we should probably get out of here," Hikaru said, turning back. But was Kaoru was gone; he was nowhere to be seen in the hall. "That little shit. He just wants to be caught, doesn't he?" And Hikaru quickly ducked into the nearest hallway to avoid Kyoya.

* * *

><p>"No, no! Hikaru we are <em>not <em>going to do that," Kaoru said, completely worried.

Hikaru sighed. "You said we had to be each other for twenty-four hours. Those are the rules. So we have to stay over at each other's houses… unless you want to forfeit. If so, I win and I will make you do something horrible."

"We didn't say the winner would get anything," Kaoru replied in a panic.

"We didn't _not _say it either," Hikaru pointed out.

Kaoru huffed, looking out at the parking lot from where they stood at the top of the stairs. Kaoru was so scared that Hikaru would find out what had happened, that he would know Kaoru had lied. It was all an accident, he swore, but he was still not willing. "What if I crash your car?" Kaoru asked quieter, looking back to Hikaru who was still trying to pass him the keys.

"You _won't_," Hikaru emphasized. He jingled the keys. "What is there to be so scared about."

A lot.

Kaoru took the keys, ignoring the rush of panic overtaking his chest. "Okay."

"All right!" Hikaru cheered. He pushed Kaoru forward, towards the stairs and the crowd. "Go on. I'll be fine. Just text me if Zen is home. I'll tell you how to deal with him."

But Kaoru wasn't worried about that.


	41. Chapter 41

**For this chapter, it would be a good idea to listen to "Dead Hearts" by Stars. It is mentioned and the guy's voice in the song is what I imagine Zen's singing voice to be like.**

* * *

><p>Kaoru pulled into the driveway of Hikaru's home, guiding the car safely off the road. And after he had finally cut the engine, he sat there even longer, just staring at the house. He didn't really know what to do. How would he act with these people? He didn't know how to act in a "real" family… He sighed, still clutching the wheel, and looked down at his lap.<p>

He could do this. He breathed heavily, trying to still his fluttering heart. Why was he so afraid?

"Hikaru!"

Kaoru peeked up wearily. At the door stood Zen and he gestured for him to come inside. "What are you still doing out here?"

Quickly, Kaoru pried his tense fingers from the steering wheel and pulled Hikaru's heavy bag off the passenger seat. Inside his bag was Kaoru's own homework… They weren't going to screw each other over by trying each other's homework.

He opened the door with a creak and lumbered out just as slowly. Kaoru cast a worried glance at Zen before closing his door. Would Zen just see right through him? He eased the door shut and made his way to Zen. He was peering down at him curiously.

"Are you okay Hikaru? Did you have a bad day?" Zen asked, tilting his head.

"You could say that," Kaoru laughed nervously, avoiding Zen's eyes.

"Come here." Suddenly Zen grabbed ahold of Kaoru, stuffing him into a warm, tight hug. Hesitating only a second, Kaoru allowed himself to hug him back and he surprisingly felt better already.

Kaoru pulled away quickly. "Thanks Zen," he said, giving him a shallow smile.

Zen mussed Kaoru's hair. "No worries, little dude. Come on, I have to show you the new song I learned the last couple days."

"Aren't you supposed to be at college?" Kaoru asked, feeling like it was the Hikaru kind of thing to say.

"You know me," Zen said with a smile as he opened the front door, "I can't stay away too long."

They headed upstairs and Kaoru dropped his bag into Hikaru's room before following his 'brother' into the next room. Zen was already sitting on the bed, strumming softly. He stopped as Kaoru came in. "Okay, you have to honestly tell me how it sounds when I'm done, okay?"

"Okay," Kaoru said, sitting on the bed, up against the wall.

Quickly, Zen cleared his throat. Then Zen burst into a low strum of soft notes, starting out slow. Kaoru sat back, letting his self to relax against the flowing chords. It made him feel serene. Then Zen began to sing. Kaoru stared, surprised, at Zen as he ranged in an unbroken alto in a flurry of notes just as he broke into the chorus.

Kaoru had never heard this particular song before, but he found himself enjoying, despite his usual distaste for slow songs. Did Hikaru know that his brother was so talented? He closed his eyes, allowing the music to envelop him. It was a fulfilling sound.

By the time the song ended, Kaoru was in awe. Zen put down his guitar with a small smile. "Do you recognize it?" Zen asked after a moment.

Kaoru scrunched his eyebrows together. "It sounds a bit…" he trailed off, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Dead Hearts by Stars," Zen said softly. "It's the song that was playing on my laptop when we got the call about your kidney transplant, remember?"

Kaoru's eyes widened. "What?"

Zen laughed. "Of course I would remember the song. I was really relieved…" Zen's smile faded and suddenly Kaoru was being hugged again.

"Zen?" Kaoru asked quietly.

He pulled away, and Kaoru swore he saw tears in his eyes. "Sorry, Hikaru, I just…" Zen got up abruptly. "I'm going to help mom with dinner, okay?" And Zen whisked away from the room, leaving Kaoru stunned.

"What?" Kaoru said. His heart skipped a beat.

Kaoru burst into Hikaru's room a few minutes later, looking around erratically. He shut the door behind him and dove for the desk on the far side of the room, ripping it open. He dug through the papers inside. Nothing in that drawer. He moved on until he had searched the whole desk. Nothing.

He turned to the closet and hedged his way through the towering boxes above the clothing rack. Boxes upon boxes and Kaoru found nothing. He laid down onto the floor, biting his lip, so confused.

That's when he saw it. Underneath the bed. Kaoru wiggled his way under the narrow space to reach the small shoe box far under the bed. The box was light and the contents shifted as he pulled it to his lap.

Kaoru hesitated only a second before gingerly removing the black lid. His breathing stuttered. On the top of the pile was a picture; it was Hikaru… in a hospital bed, looking so weak. His eyes were ringed in dark shadows, and his cheeks were sunk in. On his right side stood Zen, smiling sadly. On his left were his parents and they smiled just as forcefully. Hikaru, on the other hand, was smiling genuinely.

Flipping the photograph over, Kaoru read the caption, "Transplant day." He flipped it back over. Hikaru didn't look much younger than he did now. He looked maybe fourteen?

Beneath the photograph, the box held a number of other things… hospital papers, more pictures, and a paper heart. Kaoru's breath caught. What did this all mean? He picked up one of the hospital records and began to read through it. Hikaru had had kidney failure when he was fourteen due to high blood pressure and a number of other small complications. But it was not common for a fourteen-year-old to have kidney failure so suddenly.

Kaoru read further. No one in Hikaru's adoptive family had matched him for a kidney and he had to wait months until a match and donor had been found. It had been just after his fifteenth birthday.

Unexpectedly, Kaoru found himself calling his brother, breathing hard. His hand shook on the photo he still held. "Hello?" Hikaru's happy voice answered.

"Hey, Hikaru, are you okay?" Kaoru asked, staring at the picture. How could Hikaru be so happy all the time when he had gone through so much?

"I'm fine, Kaoru," Hikaru replied quietly. "Are you?"

Kaoru wiped away a tear and steadied his voice. "I just want to know what you are up to."

"Well, your social worker is coming over soon and…" Kaoru didn't really listen to the rest. He just stared numbly, allowing himself to be soothed by the sound of his brother's voice.

"Don't you think?" Hikaru finished a little while later.

"Yeah, definitely," Kaoru replied quickly. "Hikaru, are you really okay?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Of course… Is something wrong, Kaoru? You don't sound too good."

Kaoru paused. Should he ask his brother about the transplant? Should he still be worried about Hikaru? "No, it's nothing," Kaoru said softly, replacing the picture in the box and putting the lid back on. "Just wanted to make sure you were handling everything okay."

"You can tell me," Hikaru pressed, his voice sounding worried.

Kaoru sighed, pushing the box under the bed. "It's just… Zen played me 'Broken Hearts' just now…"

"Oh," Hikaru said.

There was silence. Kaoru fidgeted and pulled his knees to his chest. "Are you okay?" Kaoru asked again in a more hushed voice.

"Yeah," Hikaru replied in the same tone. "It's over now."

* * *

><p><strong>That song I mentioned in the story can be found here: youtube watch?v=OQT2HVfxJu4&amp;feature=share&amp;list=PLED56C136760F2DE1<strong>

**Just add that watch? part to the end of youtube, okay?**

**I didn't intend the chapter to turn out this way actually until I listened to this song 20 times in a row... Well, I hope you liked it. :D Hikaru's point of view, next chapter. Tell me what you think, yes?**


	42. Chapter 42

It didn't take long for Hikaru to assure and reassure Kaoru of his wellbeing; after all, Kaoru never was very emotional. And it was the truth. He was just _fine._

Hikaru sighed, sliding Kaoru's phone into his pocket and dropped his head down onto his math book that sat open on the desk. The lone desk light glowed softly across the darkened room. It was how Hikaru liked it when he studied: no music, no internet, no distractions. He flipped the pencil back on fourth on the glossy page, frowning.

This was exactly why Hikaru never mentioned his brief illness to anyone. They would get all worried and frazzled, and they would ask he was going to _die._ He wasn't. The doctor had said so. His new kidney worked just fine… He hoped his brother wouldn't treat him like the others had.

There was a soft knock on the door and Hikaru sat up slowly. "Come in," he called.

The door was nudged open, revealing Mr. Hitachiin. "Dinner is almost ready, Kaoru, and the social worker will be here at any moment…" he trailed off, glancing around the room. "You're not making cranes tonight?" he asked, giving Hikaru a weird look.

"Uh," Hikaru murmured, glancing at his homework that was spread across the desk as he once again fiddled with his pencil. He spotted Kaoru's origami paper shoved to the corner of the desk; a few sheets had fallen to the ground. "I just didn't feel like doing it tonight."

Mr. Hitachiin was still looking at him funny. Then he crossed the room and placed a hand over Hikaru's forehead. "Are you feeling alright Kaoru?"

Hikaru didn't even flinch. "I'm just fine."

He dropped his hand, glancing around the bedroom, and turned away. "Meet me downstairs in ten… Kaoru." And he swept quickly out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Hikaru brought his hand to his forehead, where he could still feel some warmth, and said, "Well that was weird."

A little while later, Hikaru found himself at the bottom of the stairs, staring at a short, black-haired woman, as she rushed through the open door in his direction. "Kaoru!" she cried, taking Hikaru into her embrace.

"Hi," Hikaru said breathlessly, not knowing the woman's name. He glanced at his 'father' and received an encouraging smile.

"How are you doing tonight, Akemi?" Mr. Hitachiin asked as she spun in his direction. She gave him a firm handshake.

"Great! I was just so excited to see Kaoru, here. It's not often I get such a great client as him," she gushed, giving Hikaru a fond glance.

Hikaru flushed. "Oh I'm not that great," Hikaru smiled, shifting nervously.

"Nonsense," she smiled. "You were so sweet, taking care of those younger kids and everything…"

Hikaru's eyes widened. Kaoru did what? "Um…"

"I made some dinner for us. Are you hungry?" Mr. Hitachiin interrupted.

Sighing in relief, Hikaru watched as Akemi turned to him. "Oh thank you. That sounds wonderful."

"I made spaghetti and the sauce is home-made," he enticed.

"Then we shall discuss our matters over dinner. It would be more comfortable, wouldn't it?" she smiled.

They moved into the dining room where everything was already set out and ready. Mr. Hitachiin and Akemi sat opposite from each other while Hikaru sat between. "So how do you like it here so far?" she asked, pulling herself comfortably into the white dining chair.

"I love it," Hikaru said, focusing on her. He was determined to make this meeting go well, for Kaoru. "It's really cool that Dad is teaching me to drive."

"Really? When is your driver's test?"

"Tomorrow," he said, giving her his best grin. "Everything's been going well."

She nodded, "So nothing has been difficult so far? How is it compared to when you lived with your mother?"

Hikaru shrugged, trying to replicate on of Kaoru's teenage angst stares. "I don't want to talk about it." Hikaru glanced over at Mr. Hitachiin. He was looking at him funny again and it was starting to weird him out.

"How was school today?" Mr. Hitachiin asked abruptly, wrapping his fork in the thick noodles.

Hikaru served up his own food while the others ate. "Just fine," he said shortly. He wasn't even sure how to answer that question.

Mr. Hitachiin nodded, still looking at him warily. And the night went on that way, just as awkwardly as Hikaru could ever imagine. And when it was over and Akemi had left, Hikaru sighed in relief, sitting down on the stairs. "Drained?" Mr. Hitachiin asked, glancing down at him as he locked the door.

Hikaru nodded into his hands. "Yeah, I think I will go to bed soon." He looked up to find Mr. Hitachiin checking his watch. Standing abruptly, Hikaru placed a hand on the railing. "Goodnight," he said softly.

"Goodnight, Kaoru," he replied and Hikaru slipped up the stairs, feeling the man's eyes on his back all the way up.

In Kaoru's room, Hikaru flopped down on the bed and picked up the cell phone from the bedside table; it was blinking. He flipped it open to the message… from Kaoru. _I swear, your brother is planning to ambush me or something_, it said from just a half hour ago. Hikaru smiled, visualizing Kaoru's situation.

_He probably is. Watch your back,_ Hikaru replied, typing quickly and then he dropped the phone, staring at the ceiling under the dim glow of the lamp. He glanced at the clock; it was nearing nine, definitely not late enough to sleep.

So Hikaru slipped off his bed, deciding to inspect Kaoru's room. The first place he looked was the bottom drawer of Kaoru's dresser and, just as he expected, it was littered with colorful paper cranes. There had to be at least fifty sitting in that drawer; Kaoru had worked fast on these. Hikaru wondered what the rush was.

He smiled, getting an idea. Hikaru stood and crossed the room to the desk where the stack of origami paper sat; he stooped to pick up the sheets on the floor but then paused. The bottom drawer of the desk was open just a sliver, beckoning him.

Hesitating, Hikaru eased it open, revealing a relatively empty drawer, except for a very, very small stack of photographs, sitting across the bottom. Tentatively, Hikaru picked up the first picture. It was of Kaoru, standing with wide smile on his face, giving the peace sign, and off on the other corner was Yuzuha, smiling fondly at her son from the couch. It was almost sad, this picture, and Hikaru didn't know why.

He picked up the next one. This time, it featured a younger Kaoru, unsmiling, and looking down at the floor. Kaoru looked skinny, sickly skinny, in those baggy clothes he wore. His parents stood on either side of him, not touching their son, but smiling into the camera. The background was some sort of fair or festival… Hikaru couldn't really tell.

The photo after that startled Hikaru that he almost dropped it. It was a picture of two identical babies, sleeping with their foreheads pressed together in soft white blankets.

Hikaru dropped the pictures back into the drawer and turned away. He shook his head once and grabbed the origami paper. That picture had made it too real, reminding Hikaru that they were the same… but yet so different.


	43. Chapter 43

THWACK. Kaoru fell to the ground with sweltering pain rising in his cheek. He grasped at his jaw, and looked up at his father from where he crouched on the linoleum just inside their front door. There was a stunned silence where his father just seethed over him.

"Why?" Kaoru asked softly, wanting to understand what he had done wrong.

"Why did you switch with Hikaru yesterday?" his father demanded as he grabbed Kaoru up by the neck.

"It was just a bit of fun," Kaoru said quickly, trying to calm his father. He held his hands out in front of me and his eyes were wild with fear. They had just arrived home after school, Friday, and this had happened out of nowhere.

Dad shook Kaoru. "No, you were sending him in to spy on me, weren't you?" he cried.

Kaoru shook his head, squeezing his eyes together fearfully. "Dad," he pleaded, placing his cold hands over his father's burning grip on his neck.

His father dropped him roughly, and he hit the floor hard again. Kaoru gasped and rolled himself over so that he could face his father once again. "It was nothing, I promise!"

Dad grunted and Kaoru backed up into the wall, breathing hard. He wound up for another hit at Kaoru's face. "Dad, wait! You have to calm down. Think of your therapy. Think about mom. Please, we are going to be late for my driver's test."

"Oh really?" Dad asked, tilting his head with a cruel smile. He slightly lowered his fist. "Is that what you're really worried about?"

"N-no," Kaoru stuttered, realizing his mistake.

Suddenly his father lunged at Kaoru, knocking him hard against the white walls. Kaoru cried out as he was wrenched to his feet and dragged through the living room painfully by his wrist. "It's time you learn a lesson," Dad growled, throwing open the hallway closet. He turned and shoved Kaoru inside. "See you in the morning."

The light went out of Kaoru's world and with a click of the lock, Kaoru was trapped in it. Kaoru threw himself against the door, shaking it on its hinges. "Let me out!"

Heavy steps stomped away from Kaoru's closet. "Let me out, you bastard!" Kaoru cried again, pounding at the door. "You coward!" Kaoru kicked the door as a slow rage built in his rage.

The front door to the house opened and slammed shut. Kaoru held himself still, resting his forehead against the closet door, as he heard the faraway door being locked… and then silence. "Shit," Kaoru spat at himself in complete defeat. He placed a hand on the wood and curled it into a fist. "Shit."

And then he backed up, hitting the row of coats with the back of his head. He turned in the dark, feeling around. The floor was littered with shoes and to his right was a stack of boxes. Kaoru swept aside the shoes, stacking them into a pile, and slowly sat down. He stared at the small stream of light filtering from the bottom of the door and curled himself inwards. "Well fuck," Kaoru swore. He felt his pockets for his phone… Oh yeah, he'd left it in his backpack which was sitting by the front door.

Kaoru hung his head, letting his orange hair fall over his features. He kicked the door one last time in desperate hope. He was stuck.

Sitting in a tiny closet, in the dark, with nothing to do, was not exactly how Kaoru planned on spending his Friday night. The small space was hot and musty, making it almost unbearable. Kaoru was hungry but he could handle that. But as the night wore on, Kaoru became more and more aware of the sharp pain his bladder. But no, that would be his last resort; Kaoru would not allow himself to be turned into an animal in a cage.

So he fell asleep sitting up. It was painful, leaning against the boxes with no room to stretch his feet. He used a coat for a pillow, but it was still so hot and cramped. But he fell into a fitful sleep anyway.

Hours later, morning light washed into Kaoru's small closet, when the door was suddenly flung open. Kaoru cricked his stiff back and blinked wearily at his father.

"Did you learn your lesson?" Dad asked lowly, glaring.

Kaoru wanted nothing more than to yell, to cry, to beat his face in, but then he felt the sharp pain again and the rumble of his stomach. "I did…" he replied in a small voice.

His father nodded and held out a hand to Kaoru. "Good. I'm proud of you."

Kaoru took his father's hand in confusion. "Thanks," he said, bewildered. He stood, and stretched out his pained joints, completely avoiding his father's eyes.

"Kaoru?"

"Yeah?" he replied, straightening his sweaty clothes.

"Look at me."

Kaoru froze, gritting his teeth. And then he looked. His father was looking at him in concern; he had no right. "What?" Kaoru said flatly.

Dad placed his hands on Kaoru's shoulders. "I'm sorry I did that, but I had to. I had to."

Kaoru searched his father's eyes and only saw remorse. Kaoru didn't understand. "What?" he asked in total disbelief. Why was this happening to him? What was the reason behind his father's cruelness? Kaoru's eyes watered horrifically. He wiped at them and turned his gaze away from his father.

His father gathered Kaoru into a hug and Kaoru froze, not hugging back. "Don't cry, Kaoru. You know I had to do it, don't you? You have to learn to be a good kid, to better than you were. You know that, right Kaoru?"

"Be better?" Kaoru mumbled into his father's rough shirt, letting his tears spill silently.

"You have to be perfect," Dad whispered near Kaoru's ear. "Be better than Hikaru, then I'll love you the best."

Kaoru's heart froze in his chest. It felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out. "You don't… love me?"

"Not as much as Hikaru…" His father replied and suddenly he wrenched himself away from Kaoru, looking him right in the eyes. "That's why I have to do all of this."

Kaoru stood opened-mouthed. His father was crazy. People don't this to their kids, do they? Kaoru thought of Hikaru's family; no they don't. "Dad…"

"Can you do this for me? Can you get better?"

Kaoru's shoulders slumped and he looked down at the floor. Fine, whatever. He didn't care anymore. "Fine, I'll be like Hikaru for you," he said softly.

"Perfect, thank you Kaoru," his father said and he promptly kissed Kaoru's forehead before tearing out of the room.

Kaoru stared into the rising sun, feeling dull and dead. Was this going to be the life? To repeat the abuse and torment over and over again?

Kaoru straightened his shoulders. No, he would take things into his own hands now. And the first the thing he was going to do, was get the fuck out there.

He started towards his room, seething, but then his changed his direction. He would do that, right after a bathroom break.

* * *

><p><strong>So sorry I have been updating slower than I usually do. Wait, is every 4-5 days slow? I guess for me it is. Anyway, you can blame that on discovering Thor and The Avengers, and mostly Loki. Yup, completely obsessed at the moment. I suppose you can blame my pile of homework and very dense work schedule too. Anyhow, I'll try to update soon!<strong>


	44. Chapter 44

Kaoru looked around the hallway, listening for any noise in the house, any movement before returning to his room and slinging his full duffel bag over his shoulder. It was packed to the max: clothes, hygienic products, cash, and other materialistic things. He eyed his bottom drawer of his dresser one last time, mentally saying goodbye to the 50 cranes he'd already compiled in his short stay in this house. Then Kaoru turned to his bedside table, glancing at the pictures he'd pulled out of his desk. He flipped them all over, saying goodbye to those as well. Where ever he was going, he wouldn't need them anymore. However, he allowed himself to slip the baby picture of him and his brother into a side pocket on the duffel.

He crept out of his room and into the silent house as his eyes searched the spaces warily. Pulling his jingling keys from his pocket, he placed them gently down onto the entry way's side table. His hand lingered on the cool metal, longing to keep his car. But then they would find him, wouldn't they? He drew his hand aside and turned away. Kaoru's heart thumped in terror, in excitement, and in loss.

With one last skim of his eyes across the house, Kaoru pulled the door open silently and slipped out into the rising sun. It was a Saturday morning, early but not too early. The air was crisp and the grass was sprinkled with dew.

Next door, Mei was skipping around happily in a little pink dress. The little girl squealed at the sight of Kaoru. "Kaoru!" she called, running to the edge of their conjoined fences.

Kaoru paused before approaching the short white fence with a smile. "Hey Mei. Up early today?" Kaoru asked softly. Mei was just a little girl Kaoru had said hello to one time a few days ago; now she always wanted to talk when they saw each other.

"Yeah, mama is taking me shopping today!"

Kaoru nodded. "That sounds fun," he mumbled, looking over his shoulder as a car passed by the house. He turned back to the little girl, saying, "Sorry, Mei, I've got to go."

"Have fun on your trip!" she hollered as he walked away. "See you later!"

Kaoru jolted but continued.

A little while later, Kaoru found himself slowing outside Hikaru's house. He paused at the edge of the gate, peering at the front windows, trying to see inside. He didn't see any movement. Kaoru sighed and pushed open the front gate and slowly made his way up the small path to the door.

They would be up at this time, he was sure of it. He raised his pointer finger to the doorbell but halted, frozen in place. Kaoru didn't know what stopped him, but he was suddenly so afraid, so self-conscious. He's always been on his own.

So Kaoru backed away, biting his lip, and dropped his hand. A wave of sadness washed over him and he sighed again. He looked to his left and suddenly got an idea.

Kaoru stepped lightly through the grass, rounding the large house to where the kitchen and dining room windows were. He took a deep breath and shoved himself behind a tree, off to the side of the house, peering in. Inside, Kaoru could make out the four-person family sitting down to a freshly made breakfast. Kaoru couldn't see it, but he could imagine the table full of plates of bacon and eggs, sausage and toast, and milk and orange juice, all prepared by Hikaru's parents.

Hikaru was sitting, facing away from the window. His hair was disheveled and he was wearing black and white checkered pajamas with an old t-shirt. Hikaru's shoulders shook when he laughed.

That's when Kaoru realized why Zen came home from college so often. This family was so great and so perfect. It was something Kaoru could never have.

Kaoru dropped his duffel down into the grass behind the tree and leaned against the trunk. He then took out his cell phone and dialed. It rang immediately and Kaoru turned back to the window to watch as Hikaru perked up at the table, looking to the right where Kaoru assumed his phone was.

Hikaru said something to his parents and crossed the room and into the next window, the kitchen, closest to Kaoru. "Hello?" Hikaru's voice rang through the phone, sounding completely exhausted.

Kaoru gulped, watching Hikaru pace away from the kitchen, heading to away to the living room. Kaoru picked up his duffel bag and followed him. "Hey Hikaru," he greeted softly.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Did you pass your driver's test?"

Peering into the living room, Kaoru spotted Hikaru sitting on the gray couch, once again faced away from the window. Kaoru left out an exasperated breath. "Didn't pass," he forced out.

"What do you mean? You're great at driving! What did you do wrong?" Hikaru cried in indignation. He flew to his feet from the couch and began pacing around.

Kaoru shook his head to himself and pulled himself further away from the window. "Something stupid, I think. I'm not really sure. He just told me to become better, to nest time be perfect."

Hikaru huffed. "That's awful. You would think he at least tell you what you did wrong so that you could improve…"

"Yeah, you would think so. But it doesn't always work out that way," Kaoru sighed. His eyes watered.

"What did you do after?" Hikaru asked.

"Locked in, sleeping," Kaoru said shortly.

Kaoru watched Hikaru's wild motions as he said, "Well you should have called me! We could have hung out or something afterward."

"I couldn't find my phone," Kaoru said truthfully. "But I just wanted to call you because…" Kaoru trailed off. He didn't know what he wanted. Did he want Hikaru to help him? To get involved? He paused and then said, "Because… uh, never mind. That was pretty much it."

"Are you sure?" Hikaru questioned, turning sharply to the window.

Kaoru dropped down into the grass, hiding behind a bush. "Yeah that's all," Kaoru said. "Just go back to your breakfast Hikaru."

"Huh? How did you-"

"Goodbye Hikaru."

* * *

><p>Hikaru stared his phone after the phone went dead. He had this strange constricted sensation grabbing at his chest. So he ran a hand through his tussled hair and stared around the room incredulously. Why did Kaoru's goodbye sound so final?<p>

Turning to the window in a flash with wide eyes, Hikaru flung himself at it, looking for any sign of Kaoru in his yard. But he didn't see a thing.

Regardless, Hikaru stole away to the door and wrenched it open, panicking. And there, on the steps was Kaoru's cell phone, and on top of that was a paper heart.

* * *

><p><strong>A whole week since I last updated?! I suck, apparently. But I hope you liked it anyway. There are only a few chapters left, so you better enjoy them while they last!<strong>

**Also, on my profile, I have put up a poll regarding the next story I will write after this one. Please vote for one of the options! It will be open until this fanfic is finished.**


	45. Chapter 45

Kaoru's breaths came out in heavy puffs as he slowed around a corner. No one was following him, he knew that, but he had felt the need to run, to run away from everything. Kaoru tucked his arms around himself and pulled his duffel closer to his side.

He was at the bus station. Kaoru's never taken a bus before; he never had the need, but now he was going far away to somewhere he could be someone new. Sighing, Kaoru flopped down into the bench underneath the small bus shelter and glanced warily into the sky. The darkened clouds were floating nearer and nearer towards Ouran. Vaguely, Kaoru wondered if it would rain.

Kaoru looked away and instead checked the bus schedule on the wall of the shelter. It would be just another few minutes but Kaoru slouched regardless, feeling defeated.

"Are you really running away Kaoru?"

Kaoru jumped to his feet and spun his heel. "What the hell are you doing here?" Kaoru cried, clutching at his bag.

Kyoya stood, leaning against the wall, casting a studying gaze upon Kaoru. He shrugged and didn't blink. "Kaoru," he said shortly, not amused.

Kicking his foot against the concrete angrily, Kaoru turned away, wishing for the bus to come faster. "You don't understand."

"I do understand," Kyoya said, approaching him angrily. "You are just running away from all of your problems. Just like last time."

Kaoru glared at him. "How did you find me?"

"Hikaru is freaking out. He called everyone…"

"Damn it," Kaoru spat, feeling his chest clench, "I should have just left when I had the chance. I shouldn't have stopped at his house."

"No, you shouldn't have," Kyoya said softly, "not if you didn't want to be caught."

"But I don't want to be caught!" Kaoru cried, turning on Kyoya, with his face reddening. "I don't want to go back. I don't want to mess things up for anyone ever again. I just want to give up… I just…"

There was a brief silence and Kaoru breathed hard, clenching his teeth. He dropped down back into the bench and threw his duffel onto the ground, wrapping his arms into his stomach. "Oh God," he whispered.

Kyoya joined him on the bench after a moment, sitting close but not touching. "This time is different, you know," Kyoya said.

"No. No, it isn't. This time is just as bad. My life sucks and it will always suck."

"You don't believe that," Kyoya said, leaning forward to look into Kaoru's eyes. "Last time, you only had your mom and you were behind on selling the drugs, and I can understand why you would want to run away. But this time, this time… you have so much more to lose."

"You don't know what I've been through, Kyoya," Kaoru growled. "You don't know that these things will never stop finding me. I will _never_ be happy, not really."

Kyoya shook his head, leaning back, but said nothing. The just sat together in the warmth of the sun and stared into the street as car upon car passed by. And then, a bus slowed, pulling into the space in front of them. "So what are you going to do?" Kyoya asked, not turning his head.

Kaoru stared ahead too, fidgeting. "Don't worry; I've got it figured out." And he lifted his bag onto his shoulder and stood solemnly. He didn't say goodbye; he couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he just drove himself forward to the edge of the bus, watching a few people unload themselves. And then he mounted the stairs, refusing to look back, and put his fee into the box at the top. This city bus would bring him to the long-distance bus station, and beyond that, he could go anywhere. He was only sixteen, yes, but he would make it by himself. He had before.

Walking past the driver, Kaoru only looked down his feet, not making eye contact with anyone, and walked back to a seat in the middle by the window, facing the street. Just as he sat down, the bus shifted with the whir of the motor and began to slowly pull away from the curve. Kaoru set his bag next to him and rested his head against the cool window. Perhaps Kyoya was right. Maybe he did want to be caught, to be wanted by someone out there, but at the same time, he knew he didn't. He was sick of it all. He didn't need anyone. Kaoru would always be alone and that's the way he liked it.

And when he heard someone calling his name, Kaoru closed his eyes. He didn't open them again until he was on the freeway.

* * *

><p>Hikaru watched the bus pull away from the curb, making him sprint faster. "Kaoru!" he screamed, struggling to catch up to the slow-moving bus. "Kaoru!" he called again. He zoomed down the sidewalk, dodging the pedestrians. And then he ran out into the street, right at the bus. He could see Kaoru, right there, in the window. His glazed eyes were staring in the direction of the sun. "Kaoru!" Hikaru screamed with his might. This time, he knew, Kaoru had heard him but he closed his eyes. He <em>closed<em> his eyes and didn't move an inch.

Hikaru stopped dead in the middle of the road, just where the bus had been a second earlier, and watched it move away. Was this it? Was this how it was supposed to end?

Behind him a car horn blared loudly followed by a string of undistinguishable shouts. Hikaru stood numbly for a second more before turning in a haze to look at the stopped cars behind him. They were yelling at him. Slowly, Hikaru made his way to the curb.

Pulling himself onto the sidewalk, Hikaru waited patiently until Kyoya walked over to stand beside him. "He left," Hikaru said slowly. He looked up at Kyoya who didn't say a word. "You were supposed to stall him!"

"He wouldn't be persuaded," Kyoya said, fixing his glasses. "He would have left no matter what I would have said. There was nothing I could do."

"Well you _could_ have tried _harder_!" Hikaru roared, curling his fingers into fists.

Kyoya stood still, just watching him. Hikaru huffed and turned away. "We have to find him. That particular bus doesn't leave the city, but I know the stations that do." Hikaru turned back to Kyoya. "We've got enough time to find him, I think. The buses leaving outside the city take longer to board."

"We don't have as much time as you think," Kyoya said shortly, his face completely serious. "Kaoru's father is already looking for him and _that… _that is not good."

"What, why?" Hikaru asked with wide eyes.

"Because, Hitachiin is the ex-leader of our drug ring."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, if you haven't voted yet on my next story I should write, please check out my profile and do just that! Thanks!<strong>


	46. Chapter 46

The bus stopped at the station Kaoru had been waiting for and he strode off the bus confidently and swiftly. He had a limited time to get out of Ouran before anyone caught up to him, and he wasn't going to waste any of it.

His converse shoes crunched into the gravel and dirt at the bottom of the stairs, and Kaoru was met by the rich aroma of beginning-autumn air. He stood a little straighter and made his way to the small building. He wondered how much a long distance bus ticket would put him back. Before he left, there hadn't exactly been any time to plan ahead.

Sighing, Kaoru shrugged his heavy bag higher on his shoulder and avoided the gaze of the few people standing outside the depot. The doors clinked open noisily but no one looked up from where they sat on the rows of chairs inside. Kaoru turned his head towards the nearest sign, searching for the bus schedule. He would take the first ride out of here, no matter where that took him. It looked like he was leaving in ten minutes to a place he'd never heard of before.

Kaoru smiled and approached the front desk. A woman sat slouched in her office chair and she popped her gum noisily against her teeth. Kaoru cringed; it was not an attractive pose for the older woman.

At the desk, Kaoru pulled out his wallet and set his hands over it nervously on the edge of the counter. "I need a ticket for that bus in ten minutes, please," Kaoru said clumsily.

The woman, whose nametag read 'Mi', clicked her tongue and leaned forward, looking him up and down suspiciously. Kaoru squirmed in his skin. "What are you going there for, kid?"

"I'm meeting my parents for a vacation. I couldn't go directly with them."

"On bus 222?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Kaoru gulped, wondering what he was getting himself into, but he nodded regardless. "Yeah, that's where I'm heading," Kaoru said weakly, chancing a small smile.

She rolled her eyes, smirking. "They all have the same story," she murmured to herself before turning to the computer in front of her. She typed quickly and clicked. "It will be 235 for the bus ride. How will you paying?" She glanced at him expectedly.

Kaoru opened his wallet and took out his debit card. He had more than enough in his account; he had saved a little here and there between paying for his mom. Handing over his card and his identification, Kaoru peered around the room nervously. How traceable would he be from this point? Would anyone even look?

Mi swiped his card and waited… and waited. She frowned. "Your card has been declined," she said softly, turned back to him, and handed the cards back.

"What?" Kaoru said in surprise, staring at his bank card. He swore he had at least 400 in his account. "Why?"

"You have insufficient funds," she said softly.

Kaoru paled. No. He put the card into his wallet numbly and backed away from the desk. The lady was staring at him in concern now. No, no, no, no, no. This was _not _happening to him!

Turning, Kaoru strode out of the station, keeping his head down and walking as fast as he could. Kaoru crossed the busy street without looking, heard the blaring horns around him, but he didn't give a shit. His life was ruined. He only had 100 dollars to his name and nowhere to go and it was all because his father, whom he'd trusted, had stolen the last of his savings.

Kaoru walked quickly away from the busy road, feeling himself breaking and falling apart at the seams. And then he broke into a run, bursting with bottled emotions. He huffed breathlessly as he ran and tears made its way to his eyes. He didn't let them fall, not yet anyway.

Blindly, Kaoru pushed himself around the side of the nearest building and stopped on a quieter road and leaned up against the rough wall. He slid down to the ground, removing his duffel bag, and sniffled into his sleeve. Above him, the sun disappeared into the black raging clouds and suddenly, the wind picked up and sent a chill up Kaoru's spine.

"How convenient," Kaoru sniffed, pressing his face into his knees. "Let's rain on Kaoru while he's down…"

The whistle of the wind billowed about him, tugging at his sweatshirt and his long orange hair. And of course, today would be the day of the first autumn wind. He sighed.

"Kaoru," someone stated flatly.

His breath caught at his name; Kaoru knew that voice. For a second, Kaoru didn't move, frozen beneath his arms. But when he looked up, his reddened eyes were streaked with moisture and his nose was dribbling. This was not the way he wanted to be found.

Kaoru caught those dark eyes before he was wrenched painfully to his feet. "You bastard!" Akito snarled into his face. Kaoru flinched away, focused on the pain in his arm where Akito held him. "Why didn't you tell us who your fucking father was?"

"What?" Kaoru asked in panic. His eyes flashed to Akito's, whose eyes were wide with fear.

"Your dad, man. Why the fuck didn't you tell us!" He slammed Kaoru up against the brick wall, trapping him there. "Your mom would have been alive right now if you just told us!"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Kaoru screamed out, pushing back at the boy who haunted his worst nightmares.

Akito held him firmly in place and spoke fast, "Your dad is the leader of our drug ring, and he was gone, for a long time, but now he's back because he's looking for you." He shook Kaoru who stood in complete shock. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't know," Kaoru whispered.

Akito grabbed Kaoru's neck in one hand. "Yeah, well, now he's going to have my head when he finds out I was the one to kill his wife." Kaoru gasped as his hand tightened and Kaoru's airways were cut off.

"Akito!" a voice cried out.

Immediately, Akito dropped Kaoru and spun on his heels. Kaoru gasped, leaning against the wall. He recognized the group approaching as six of the other gang members. Trembling, Kaoru tried to straighten himself up and hold back the tears.

"What are you doing to him?" one asked, horrified. "We are supposed to bring him back in one piece."

"No! I'm going to kill him before the boss kills me. You know he will!" Akito cried. "And you know he won't let you all off all that easy either. We planned this together, remember? We killed Hitachiin's wife!"

A wave of silence consumed the group while they looked around at each other in panic. Kaoru waited with his heart in his throat. "Kill him," one of the guys suddenly said.

Kaoru was shoved back against the wall once again with a sickening crack to the skull. Through his suffocating throat, Kaoru silently screamed for help.

* * *

><p><strong>HEY! Hey you in the corner! Yes, you. You haven't voted on my poll yet and I would love if you would. Thank you. <strong>

**I will have my story poll open for maybe one more week and then close it. This story is coming to a close soon so I would like to plan my next story ahead of time. So far, it looks like I will be writing a ghost story. I am quite excited.**


	47. Chapter 47

Kaoru was struggling for air and his brain was sending flashes of bright light into his vision. He couldn't think, couldn't see, and couldn't yell. All he could do was gasp for oxygen and scrape at the hand holding him up.

* * *

><p>Hikaru puffed out a deep breath as he ran and ran down the extremely crowded city street, pushing bodies haphazardly out of the way. They yelled in his ear as he passed, but he did not slow. He ignored them and continued to fight his way through.<p>

"Hikaru, wait!" Kyoya called somewhere from behind.

"Fuck off!" Hikaru hollered back, shoving a poor girl to the side.

Kyoya's hand shot out and tugged at Hikaru's sleeve. "Stop!" he commanded.

Hikaru spun on him with wild eyes. "What? What! What could you possibly say that could stop me from finding my brother? What, Kyoya?"

Kyoya glared back, dropping his hand. "I was just going to say… I hailed a cab… I figured it would be faster." He gestured to the taxi that was pulled up near the curb, further back on the road.

"Oh, right," Hikaru laughed nervously. "Let's go." And he pushed the same girl out of his way yet another time to get to the cab.

* * *

><p>The hand flew away from Kaoru's throat, dropping him down against the pavement and he landed hard, scraping his hands. He panted in a lightheaded daze, staring at the shoes of his attackers. He coughed wetly and forced himself into a sitting position.<p>

But as he did so, Kaoru was slammed back down with hearty kick into his ribs. Kaoru let out a low whimper under the throbbing, echoing pain that vibrated through his bones. He clenched his jaw and stiffened as he pressed his face into the cool cement. God help him.

The others were goading his attacker on, screaming for more. Kaoru scrunched into a ball and closed his eyes when he saw the foot real back for another swing. This time there was only a few seconds of blinding agony before the world went gray and dead.

* * *

><p>Their cab pulled up in front of the old bus station in no time; they had discovered that they only had to go about 16 blocks to get to their destination. But when they slowed at the curb, Hikaru burst out the door before they even came to a stop, trusting that Kyoya would pay the fare.<p>

He all but attacked the front door as he flew inside, startling the people inside. His heart was pounding with fear and anxiety. What if Kaoru had already left?

Striding over to the front desk, Hikaru slammed his hands down onto the counter, instantly gaining the attention of the lady there. "Have you seen my twin? Did he board a bus already?"

The woman gaped, worked her mouth stupidly, and finally said, "H-he was here just a few minutes ago, but he didn't buy a ticket. He went in that direction." She pointed a manicured finger in the direction of across the street.

Hikaru nodded quickly and darted back out the door. Kyoya was just getting out of the cab as Hikaru whisked by, not acknowledging him.

"He went that way?" Kyoya asked, catching up to Hikaru's side.

"What is he doing?" Hikaru questioned to himself. "What is he thinking by running away?" Hikaru didn't wait for an answer; he just picked up his pace.

* * *

><p>Kaoru blinked awake, his head still ringing. He hurt all over and it was bad. He groaned, slowly shifting on the cement and felt his ribs shift underneath himself; some of those had to be broken.<p>

"Finally, he's awake again," someone said in glee.

Swiftly and horrifically, Kaoru was forced to his feet, twisted upwards by a merciless grasp on his arms. Kaoru cried out and slumped, a boneless mess, against to whoever held him up. So. This was what it felt like to completely give up. Kaoru squeezed his eyelids together, wishing for death.

"Time for you to die," were the words the reverberated through Kaoru's very essence. It was happening and then everything would be over. Kaoru's lips curled into a shallow smile.

"We'll make it quick for you." Kaoru recognized Akito's voice in his ear, casting moistened air into Kaoru's hair.

But it seemed so much slower in Kaoru's adrenaline. Kaoru was pushed against the wall once again; one hand wrapped thickly around his tender throat, making it hard to breath but not entirely cutting off the airflow.

And then, the sharp chink of metal on metal forced Kaoru's eyes open in surprise. He was met with the sight of Akito leering in his face with his twisted smile and in his hand he held a shiny silver Swiss army knife, pointing at his face.

Kaoru's breath caught and it all became a reality. He was really going to die this time; there was no way around it.

"Akito!" a sharp call burst through.

Akito's head swung in surprise and over his shoulder, Kaoru could see Kyoya and Hikaru running in his direction. Kaoru couldn't help the wash of relief that engulfed him.

"Akito stop this! Do you really want to make things worse?" Kyoya shouted, forcing himself past the other boys, gathered around the group. Hikaru followed more discreetly, choosing to skirt around the boys and coming to a stop near Kaoru but not near enough.

"I'm not making things worse. I'm fixing it!" Akito yelled, his eyes crazed, and he inched the knife closer to Kaoru's flesh.

"Just get out of here, Akito. If you get away now, he might not find you. You could move far away. You could…" Kyoya trailed off with pained eyes.

Akito gaze was conflicted, flashing with desperate fear. And in that moment, Kaoru felt a slight the grip on his throat loosen just so slightly. Kaoru lunged forward, knocking Akito from his grip, and the knife flew into the air, landing with a clang on the sidewalk. Kyoya threw himself at his brother, tackling him into ground and pinning him there temporarily. "Run!" he hollered.

Kaoru turned, the world tilting and swirling in a haze, but he managed to get a good foothold to charge his way through the crowd. Hikaru grabbed Kaoru by the shoulder and pulled him through the mass of drug dealers, forcing him to Hikaru's side. "I got you," Hikaru said quickly, before turning. "Let's go!" And they began running.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who voted on my poll. If you haven't voted yet, please do it now because I will close it as soon as my next chapter is up. I have some great ideas for my next story! YAY!<strong>

**ALSO! I have written a one-shot called "Puppy Love" for those fluff-lovers and dog lovers. Check it out if this sounds like you. **

**(I'm not exactly fond of fluff but some of you were asking for it, so... there you go!)**


	48. Chapter 48

Hikaru slowed for Kaoru, noticing the pained look on his face and the way he clutched his stomach. A pang of worry zipped through Hikaru's chest as he came to a stop, pulling Kaoru back with him. "How are you feeling?" Hikaru asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Kaoru just held himself panting, looking down at the concrete. His face was sweaty and warm. Hikaru took Kaoru's face and moved it to look at him. "Where does it hurt?" Hikaru questioned seriously.

Kaoru shifted his hands on his ribs and Hikaru looked go as his focus fell on Kaoru's midsection. Gingerly removing Kaoru's arms, Hikaru pulled Kaoru's shirt lightly up over his skin revealing a purplish angry bruise across his chest. "Shit, Kaoru," he gasped.

"We have to go," Kaoru wheezed, his eyes darting behind Hikaru. Hikaru dropped Kaoru's shirt and turned to look; there wasn't anyone following them but it could be only a matter of time.

"Come on," Hikaru breathed, taking his brother's arm gently in his grasp. He whisked him away to the mouth an alley and leaned Kaoru up against the wall. "You need to rest," Hikaru said firmly, trying to help his brother down to sit.

Kaoru shook his head, resisting. "No, we've got to go."

"Why?"

"Hello boys."

Hikaru froze, looking at the sheer terror in Kaoru's eyes. No one, no matter who they were, was allowed to put that look on his brother's eyes. Hikaru turned slowly to see Mr. Hitachiin, his 'father', pointing a gun at the two of them.

"What the hell do you want?" Hikaru snarled.

"Hikaru, step away from Kaoru," Mr. Hitachiin said calmly. But there was wild rage in his eyes that brought a shiver down Hikaru's spine.

"No."

"Hikaru," Kaoru said softly behind him. "Just step away."

Hikaru turned on his brother with wide eyes. "What?"

Kaoru shrugged, wincing at the movement. "Things were going to catch up with me eventually. I'm surprised I lasted this long."

Gaping, Hikaru stared at his brother. "I'm not just going to let you die, Kaoru. You're my brother."

His lips turned up into a sad smile. "Yeah, you're my brother, but that isn't going to stop Dad from killing me. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Hikaru glared at Kaoru before redirecting it at his biological father. "Why are you doing this?"

A grin grew across their father's face. "I'm doing something that should have been done long ago." He switched off the safety on the handgun. "Now step out of the way."

Hikaru looked back at his brother; Kaoru was bracing himself against the wall with his eyes scrunched shut. "No way in hell!" Hikaru spat. But Mr. Hitachiin was approaching the two of them, aiming at Kaoru. "Don't you dare touch him."

Mr. Hitachiin stopped in his tracks and turned the gun on Hikaru, who immediately paled. "Do you really think I want to do this?" He took a step forward, only a few feet away from the two of them now. "Do you think I _want _to shoot one of my sons?"

"Then don't do it!" Hikaru yelled.

"I have to!" he shouted back, his fingers tightening on the gun, making Hikaru hold still. "He," Hitachiin turned his gun on Kaoru again, "is the thing that ruined my life. _He_ tore my family apart." Kaoru was staring down the barrel of the gun with wide eyes and his lip trembled. "Out of my way."

Hikaru was shoved out the way. "No!" Hikaru yelled as Mr. Hitachiin approached a stunned Kaoru. He lunged at the arm, trying to pry the gun away, but Hitachiin pulled back and then aimed again.

This was the last chance.

Hikaru watched Hitachiin's finger tighten on the trigger and he did the last thing he could think of. He ran, lunging into the air, just as the shot rang out and covered his brother. An explosion of pain ripped through Hikaru and he screamed, clutching onto his brother's shoulders. Kaoru was staring at Hikaru in utter terror. "Run, Kaoru," Hikaru murmured before he slumped against Kaoru, and slid down onto the floor.

* * *

><p>There was blood on Kaoru's hands where he had tried to catch his brother before he'd fallen. But now Hikaru was lying in a heap at his feet, with blood trickling from the wound in his back. Kaoru's expression hardened as he glared up at his father. "You just shot Hikaru," he stated, his voice in the most deathly of tones. "You just shot my brother."<p>

Father glared back. "This is _your_ fault."

In a feral scream, Kaoru jumped at his father, tackling him at the waist. The gun flew out of his hand, grating across the concrete and resting near the front of the alley. Kaoru roared as he threw a hard punch into his father's face, earning a satisfying crack at impact. His hand stung but he went in for another go.

His father forced all of his weight on Kaoru, forcing him to flip over, so that his father had him pinned down. "Not this time, Kaoru," he snarled, pressing his hands into Kaoru's bruised ribs. Kaoru's scream was short because the wind went out of him and tears soaked his eyes at the pure pain. But he pushed himself past it, seeing his father scramble for the gun.

Kaoru forced himself up, seeing stars, and grabbed onto his father's leg, pulling him a few inches short of the gun. Heaving with all his might, Kaoru hauled his father backwards. He then leapt onto his back, forcing his dad facedown into the ground.

It was Kaoru's turn.

Pouncing forward, Kaoru hurled his hand at the gun. He was careful to where his fingers landed, knowing the safety was still unlocked, and pulled it to himself. But he dropped it again as his father kicked him in the shin.

Kaoru turned on him, scrambling to his feet. His father was still on the ground and Kaoru took this chance to knee him in the gut, forcing him down.

"Kaoru!"

He turned in surprise to see Hikaru, bleeding, holding the gun. His eyes were dull and full of pain, but he still had the strength to throw the gun across the ground and it came to rest at Kaoru's feet. Kaoru snatched it up and turned on Father immediately, who froze when he saw Kaoru above him with a gun in his shaking hands.

"Say goodnight," Kaoru snarled. He took the gun and smashed it against his father's skull, instantly causing him to black out and dropping to the ground.

Kaoru switched on the safety and set it down, away from his father, and then checked for a pulse. He breathed in relief; he wasn't dead, thank God.

Then Kaoru turned his attention on his brother, who had managed to prop himself up against the wall. He shuffled and crawled his way over to Hikaru and immediately leaned Hikaru forward to inspect the wound. "Holy hell, Hikaru," Kaoru whimpered through silent tears.

Hikaru forced a smile onto his pained face. "Aye, but 'tis just a scratch. 'Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a-"

"Oh shut up," Kaoru laughed though the tears, leaning his brother back.

Hikaru smiled weakly at Kaoru and then said, "Now will you do something for me? Will you come live at my house now?'

"Hikaru," Kaoru started.

"It's my dying wish," Hikaru interrupted quickly.

Kaoru shook his head but then hung his head in defeat. "Fine," he said softly.

"Good," Hikaru said. "Now call me an ambulance."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, the story is coming to a close soon. Let's see if we can get this story to 600 reviews! That would be a personal best. Haha, not that 500-some is already a personal best.<strong>

**ALSO, it appears that the Ghost/Supernatural story has won the poll! Please check out the prologue to my new story "Fading Fast."**


	49. Chapter 49

**EPILOGUE**

The doorbell rang and Hikaru made his way to the door, wincing all the way. In the front hallway, his mom and dad were already opening the door with excited grins. Hikaru smiled as complete happiness and excitement finally hit him. This was real.

Dad opened the door and over his father's shoulder, Hikaru spotted Kaoru standing on their doorstep with his social worker, Akemi, behind him. Kaoru smiled shyly at the people in front of him. "Hi," he said a bit quietly.

"Oh, come here dear!" Mrs. Nagamu cried, launching herself at Kaoru, and hugged the living daylights out of him.

Kaoru's eyes were wide as she hugged him, completely baffled, but he was quick to hug her back. Hikaru's chest swelled; he was so happy for his brother. Grinning, Hikaru caught Kaoru's eye and he mirrored his smile.

"We are so happy to have you," Dad inputted as they pulled out from the hug.

"Thanks for taking me," Kaoru said softly, slightly bowing his head, hiding behind his long hair.

Mr. Nagamu pummeled Kaoru into an even stronger hug and Kaoru's face was priceless; he was completely shocked. Hikaru laughed at their awkward hug, wincing as a faint pain shot up his spine.

"Hikaru!" Mom cried, turning on him. "You should be sitting down, resting. It's only been two weeks!"

"I'm not an invalid, mom, and you know that I do what I want," Hikaru laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Uh, Mrs. Nagamu?"

She turned her full attention on Kaoru and Hikaru could see the pure adoration on his mother's face. "Yes, dear?"

"Uh…" Kaoru's face began to turn red. "I made this for you." He pulled out a little paper heart out of his sweatshirt pocket and held it out to her.

She squealed, taking the heart, and pulling him into a hug again. "You are absolutely adorable!" she cried.

Kaoru's face was still red when they parted and he went to stand by Hikaru, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Suck up," Hikaru chuckled.

"Shut up," Kaoru replied with a small smile.

"Well," Akemi piped up with a smile, "we finally got clearance for this to be Kaoru's foster home. I'm just so happy."

Kaoru looked down and started rubbing the back of his head again. Hikaru nudged him playfully.

"I'm so glad you could work with us on this," Mrs. Nagamu said, taking Akemi's hand. "We just love Kaoru and we can't wait to have him in our family."

"I can tell," Akemi smiled, looking at Kaoru who still was smiling shyly at the floor.

Hikaru turned to his mother. "Well, I think I'll show Kaoru to his room and we'll let you grown-ups talk."

Mom's eyes darted to Kaoru and back again, "Good idea."

"Wait, I have to grab my stuff," Kaoru said, suddenly looking up.

"Don't worry. We've got it," Dad said, waving them off.

Hikaru took Kaoru's wrist and made him follow up the stairs. "Hey Hikaru…" Kaoru said at the top of the stairs. "Thanks," he muttered just as Hikaru turned, and Kaoru shoved something into Hikaru's hand, taking him by surprise. He looked down and found a little red paper crane between his fingers. Looking back up, Kaoru was already walking down the hallway, so Hikaru smiled and followed him.

They walked by Hikaru's and Zen's rooms to the door at the end of the hallway that was closed. Kaoru stopped in front of the door, hesitating with his hand on the knob, and said, "Should I be scared?"

Hikaru chuckled, "Well I stopped Mom from buying anything too crazy, so don't worry."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Kaoru laughed nervously. He leaned forward and blew out a breath. "Okay, here we go." He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Hikaru followed, watching his brother closely. Kaoru made no reaction, just looked around in a daze at the shining furniture and the freshly painted walls, and then sat on the bed. Hikaru quickly joined him.

"How are you doing?" Hikaru asked, leaning his elbows onto his knees.

Kaoru shrugged as he continued to stare around the room. "Well you know that my ribs only turned out to bruised and it's healing nicely, so there isn't much-"

"Kaoru," Hikaru interrupted.

He looked down and swiped a hand over his brow before looking Hikaru in the eye. "It's a lot," he said simply.

Hikaru acknowledged that with a nod. "But do you think you will like it here?"

"Probably too much," Kaoru said, finally re-cracking a smile. "You won't be able to get rid of me."

"Good, that's exactly what we want here," Hikaru replied.

Suddenly Zen burst into the room. "Hey, there are my favorite brothers!"

"I'm not…" Kaoru started but Zen put up a hand.

"Any brother of Hikaru's is a brother of mine. Besides, I think you're pretty cool too." He ruffled Kaoru's long hair. "And you need a haircut," Zen teased.

"Mom would never let him cut it. She loves it too much."

Kaoru was red again.

And the day continued that way, carefree and lighthearted. Hikaru began to see a happier Kaoru starting to emerge already, joking and laughing with everyone…

The evening ended with a family photo. That's right; Mrs. Nagamu had shamelessly proclaimed Kaoru a permanent fixture in their family and would not go to sleep without that picture to document the day their lives changed again. Sure, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Zen moaned and complained about it, but they all knew that was just a front. They all really wanted that picture. Later on, they would all have it hanging in their room and Mrs. Nagamu would send it out as their Christmas card and tape it to the fridge.

And they didn't worry or think about the upcoming trial date or how some of the other drug ring dealers were still missing. 'Live in the moment,' Mr. Nagamu reminded them whenever someone brought either subject. They did too. They went to the theme park and went on family outings; Hikaru and Kaoru had their friends over. Kyoya was fine by the way; he was staying with an uncle who actually cared for him. They were all very happy, and relieved for him…

And, for once in Kaoru's life, everything was falling into place.

A few months later, Kaoru was doing his homework beneath the soft glow of his lamp. He tapped his pencil against his notebook, staring at the impossible calculus problem, and sighed. What in the world did he need this crap for?

After a second of intense staring, Kaoru dropped the pencil softly, scraping a hand across his forehead. He sat there for a minute before looking up. There, on his bulletin board, was his family picture. That right there was _his_ family. Kaoru smiled, leaning his head against his hand.

"Kaoru! Are you done with your homework yet? We want to go to the restaurant now!" Hikaru called from somewhere down the hall.

Kaoru glanced down at his half-finished assignment and then slammed his book shut. "Yeah, I'll grab my coat!"

He went to his closet and gingerly opened the door. A pile of paper cranes fell onto the floor as he pulled his coat from a hanger above his pile. He left all but one lying there, and he put that one on his bulletin board next to his picture before whisking out the door.

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><p><strong>Don't you worry: Stay tuned for the bonus chapter! <strong>


	50. Chapter 50

**BONUS CHAPTER**

2 Years Later

"Got everything?" Mom asked, wringing her hands together in fret.

"Yeah, we went through everything last night, mom," Hikaru said from beside Kaoru. At their feet were two backpacks, the last of their insane amount of bags and boxes.

"Oh, my babies are growing up," she cried, letting the tears finally spill, and she gathered the twins into gigantic hugs. She pressed a kiss to both Hikaru and Kaoru's cheeks and squeezed them a little bit closer.

"Dear, let them breathe," Dad laughed from over her shoulder.

"It's not like we're leaving forever. We'll be back in a few weeks," Hikaru offered in comfort.

"That's not soon enough!" she said in indignation.

Kaoru laughed quietly along with his brother, and said, "It'll be okay, Mom." And, of course, Mrs. Nagamu melted as soon as he called her that.

She swiftly gathered Hikaru into her arms. "You little devil, you know that will only make miss you more."

"That was the goal," he said while straightening his long orange hair. Hikaru was right; Mrs. Nagamu never wanted him to cut his hair. He found it very entertaining to taunt her about it. In fact… "Do you think at college I can get a buzz-cut?" Kaoru asked, turning to Hikaru.

"Don't you dare!" she said, pinching his cheeks.

Hikaru opened the front door, peering outside just as a long honk came from one of the cars outside. "Tamaki is really impatient, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he wants to show us everything on campus. I have a feeling today is going to be a long day," Kaoru inputted.

Mom smiled, "Well at least the two of you and Haruhi got into the same university as your older friends." She waved affectionately at Haruhi who was leaning against Hikaru and Kaoru's shared car, waiting to leave.

"Well, we should probably go. We have a long drive ahead of us." Hikaru heaved on his heavy bag and paced out the door, waving at his friends as he strode down the front walk.

Kaoru picked up his identical bag and paused, glancing at his adoptive parents. Yup, he was adopted and proud of it. "Thanks," he said in a small voice. "For everything, I mean."

"Whatever for?" Mrs. Nagamu asked.

"You know, for sending me to college when you technically didn't have to…"

Mr. Nagamu stepped forward and rested a heavy hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "You are just our son as any of our other two boys. And we will be darned if one of our children doesn't get a college education."

Kaoru nodded and smiled, "Okay."

"Oh, Kaoru," Mom piped up, "I noticed that you aren't bringing of your cranes with you. Did you finish them?"

Kaoru's smiled grew to a grin. "Yeah, I finished them two months ago."

"What did you wish for?"

"I didn't wish for anything. I have everything I've ever wanted… Why jinx it with a wish?" Kaoru said.

"Kaoru let's go!" Hikaru called at the curb, opening the driver's door.

"Thanks again," Kaoru said. "Bye!" he called, and rushed out the door and down the path.

"This is so exciting!" Haruhi squealed, hanging out the back window.

Kaoru rounded the car and shoved his bag onto the floor before flopping into the front seat. "And Kaoru and I are going to be roommates!" Hikaru yelled, punching his hand in the air. "Isn't this going to rock?" He turned his head to Kaoru as he started the car.

"Hell yeah!" Kaoru yelled, kicking his feet up onto the dash.

"Hell yeah!" Haruhi echoed, leaning between their seats.

Kaoru smiled as the car behind them honked a second time. He looked behind him to see Tamaki in the driver's seat with Kyoya laughing in the passenger seat. Behind them sat Honey and Mori, talking animatedly. Kaoru gave Tamaki a wave.

"I'm going to give him the finger just to piss him off," Hikaru laughed. He leaned out his window and flagged Tamaki down, laughing the whole time.

The three of them roared with laughter when Tamaki turned a dramatic glare onto them. "Okay let's go!" Hikaru said, putting his hand on the wheel and switching into drive.

They were off, going to college, going on an adventure.

And as Kaoru sat there, listening to the radio and his brother and Haruhi's bickering, he thought about how much his life had changed from just a few short years ago. He smiled.

He wouldn't change a single thing.

THE END.

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><p><strong>Well, that is the end. I want to cry, it's like parting with a child I've raised all this time. I'm so proud of this fiction- 600+ reviews! WOW! Thank you everyone, I appreciate all the favorites, follows, and reviews you have all graced me with. I feel so lucky to have so many great people reading my story! AHHH!<strong>

**On a different note, I have started a new story called "Fading Fast." Check it out! AND WOW I already have 19 reviews on just the Prologue for that story! Holy crap! I also have other stories if you are interested... (Shameless self advertising.)**

**Peace out!**


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